


if you can't take the heat

by dubiously



Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: 1940s Campiness, Alcohol, Anal Sex, Homophobic Language, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Potential Security Software/Techonology Blunders, Rimming, Scooby Doo Style Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 07:47:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7706449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dubiously/pseuds/dubiously
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared is a fugitive from justice and is hiding out at his friend Sandy's lake house.  Jensen is a pompous software genius and Sandy's summer tenant, just looking for a bit of peace and quiet.  When Jared and Sandy conspire for Jensen's help to prove Jared's innocence, the lies start piling up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Livejournal in August 2007, just moving it to the archive with some minor edits.
> 
> Written for the spn_reel challenge. Adapted from the 1942 film The Talk of the Town, so expect as much campiness as that would imply.

The sun was just setting, slipping below the thick line of treetops surrounding the dark water, the last glints of its light winking through the leaves and reflecting off of the smooth, crystal surface of the lake.  
  
Setting down the broom to right an old wicker chair, Sandy sighed. She had devoted all afternoon to sweeping and dusting the interior of the house, trying to avoid the summer heat of the hot Texas sun. There had only been a few minutes of daylight left when she had finally been able to tackle the crowded, dirty mess of the deck.  
  
She lifted the deck chair’s seat cushion and beat it, shaking out dry, dead leaves and stale dust. A quick glance around the deck in the fading twilight confirmed her suspicions. It was going to be a long, hard night getting everything cleaned and ready before the new summer tenant arrived in the morning.  
  
Sandy shook out the last of the chair cushions and wiped the loose grit and dirt off of the table with a cloth. She sprayed the surface down with disinfectant, but couldn’t see to properly scrub away the stains in the nighttime shadows.  
  
Two of the old light bulbs in deck lamps sizzled and popped when she flicked the light switch, leaving only half of the area illuminated. Another weary sigh, and Sandy walked back into the lake house to retrieve fresh light bulbs.  
  
No time to waste, she returned quickly and already had the first of the two bulbs replaced when she first heard the noise. A soft rustling of the underbrush, not far off the deck. She brushed it off. The rising of the woods’ nocturnal creatures was a familiar sound and not something she could afford to focus on at the moment.  
  
It was as she was crossing the deck, the wooden planks slightly creaking with her light steps, that the sound came again, closer this time, at the foot of the short stairs leading down toward the lake shore.  
  
Sandy paused, listening. Again, it was not uncommon for the raccoons and rabbits to move about and burrow under the deck, and with the house shut up all spring, there had been no one to chase away the pests. However, the noise had not seemed to be one made by a small animal; something of this size could be dangerous. Her eyes lit upon a cracked and splintered tree limb lying on the floor of the deck. It would serve nicely to scare off anything that wasn’t frightened away by the lamp lights.  
  
Prepared as she was, the loud crashing and creaking as something large fumbled downward, step after step, still came as a surprise, but not quite as surprising as the oddly-human, muffled  oofs and  unghs heard throughout.  
  
Wielding the tree limb up high, Sandy raced for the stairs and peered down.  
  
"Jared!"  
  
She bounded down the first four steps to her friend, lying sprawled and moaning across the landing midway down the stairs. "Jared, are you all right?"  
  
She brushed the locks of his shaggy hair back from his face. Once assured he was merely bruised and not broken, she shoved her hands into his broad chest. "Jared, what are you doing here? How did you get here?"  
  
When she received no answer aside from his continued groans, she reached out and slapped him across his scraggly face. "Stop being a baby, and snap out of it! You’re just fine." She stood back up, yanking at his arms until he followed her, really looking at her for the first time.  
  
He leaned down, wrapping his arms tight around her tiny frame. "Oh, Sandy! Thank god you’re here."  
  
She allowed him to cling to her for a moment, soothingly patting at his back, before the scent of sweat and dirt wafting from his form offended her senses. She pushed back at him, holding him at arms length. "Jared, what happened? Why are you here? I thought you were still in jail!"  It was at this point that she finally registered his clothing, the once-orange jumpsuit fitting snugly to his muscled body. "Oh, no, Jared. You can’t come here! No, no!" She ran back up the stairs to the deck.  
  
The fallen tree limb was lying on the deck where she’d dropped it. Sandy picked it up and threw it over the railing down to the ground below. She was replacing the second light bulb when she heard Jared finally coming out onto the deck.  
  
The disinfectant on the table had now dried, useless for a good scrubbing, and she furiously sprayed it down again, the pump of the spring and the splat of the liquid ringing in her ears. Just what she needed tonight. Down to the last minute, trying to clean up the last of the lake house for this damned tenant, who was said to be particularly fastidious and quite surly, and now Jared was here, instead of in jail, calmly awaiting his trial like a  good citizen --  
  
"Sandy, come on, please! You’ve gotta help me," Jared said at her side, grasping at her shoulder. "I didn’t know where else to go, and Welling can’t be too far behind me. Please!"  
  
Sandy shook his hand off and tossed the rag down onto the table. "Jared, I’m sorry, but you can’t stay here! I can’t help you."  
  
"Come on, just for tonight. One night, until they think I’m long gone. Please. There’s nowhere else for me to go!"  
  
"I’m sorry, but I can’t! The new tenant is showing up first thing tomorrow morning, and if you’re here -- "  
  
The sound of tires crunching along the gravel drive at the front of the house made them both pause, their eyes widened. A car door slammed, and Jared’s wide hands cupped Sandy’s face. "Please," he whispered.  
  
That was probably Tom now. They had no doubt tracked Jared all the way back to the lake house by now and were here to take him back to jail. She wanted to help him; she really did. But not at the expense of her own freedom.  
  
Someone knocked at the front door just as she remembered the boathouse down on the lake.  
  
"Go hide in the boathouse," she whispered. Maybe they would get lucky, and the cops wouldn’t search there. And if they did, and found him, she could always deny all knowledge of his presence.  
  
Jared ran down the stairs.  
  
"And for god’s sake, be quiet!" she softly yelled after him.  
  
By the time she reached the front door, the knocking had turned to an insistent pounding. She stopped, hand on the knob and ear to the door, but she heard no voices. She ran her hands across her hair and down her shirt, smoothing an odd fly-away and wrinkle, and pasted a smile on her face as she opened the door.  
  
On the welcome mat stood a man, not Tom but face and stance just as stormy as one searching for an escaped prisoner. The green eyes behind wide, heavy frames were narrowed, full lips pursed into a grim line.  
  
"Miss McCoy?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she said.  
  
The man managed to appear both relieved and agitated at the same time. Sandy stared in amazement.  
  
"Well? Aren’t you going to let me in?" he asked.  
  
He didn’t look like a policeman in his starched white button-down, light khakis, and shiny loafers. She peered over his shoulder and noted the Lexus SUV parked on the drive. Definitely not what the B’Effey police force was driving these days.  
  
"Why exactly would I do that?" she asked.  
  
The man’s face turned skyward in apparent exasperation. When he looked back at her, his eyes were flat and empty. "I’m Jensen. Jensen Ackles. I’m renting this lake house for the summer?"  
  
How she had missed the two duffle bags lying at his feet and the messenger bag slung over his shoulder, she couldn’t say. It had been quite a stressful evening.  
  
She blinked at him. "But you’re not supposed to be here until tomorrow."  
  
"I decided to get out of town a night early, and the traffic coming out here was light," he said, and picked up his bags, stepping forward to walk through the doorway.  
  
Sandy quickly thrust her arms out, holding both sides of the door frame. "But I wasn’t expecting you yet. The house isn’t finished. You can’t come inside."  
  
Jensen stared at her, incredulous. "Miss McCoy, I’m sure you can finish whatever needs to be done tomorrow morning. I’ve had a long drive, and I’m tired." He tried to push past her into the house.  
  
"I’m sorry, but it’s not fit for you to stay here. You’ll just have to come back tomorrow," Sandy insisted firmly.  
  
Jensen’s eyes narrowed. "There is nowhere else for me to go, and even if there were, I wouldn’t leave. I’ve driven all the way out here, and I’ll be staying here." He crowded into her space until she was forced to move back and allow him to enter.  
  
Sandy closed the door, then clasped her hands and fretted as she watched Jensen look around the living area, assessing.  
  
"Miss McCoy, this looks just fine. I’m sure I will have no difficulties staying here tonight. If you would be so kind as to point me toward the master bedroom, I think I’ll turn in for the night, and you can do so, as well."  
  
She rushed around to stand in front of him. "Oh, um," she said. "It’s -- it’s not the house itself that isn’t finished. I just need to clean up the deck a bit more, is all. I’m sure I won’t disturb you -- "  
  
"That’s fine," he said, "as long as you make no noise. I insist on silence, Miss McCoy. I have a lot of work to complete this summer, and I need to be able to relax."  
  
Sandy nodded. "Oh, of course, you won’t hear me make a peep -- "  
  
"And now, if you’ll show me to the bedroom, I’d really like to get some rest."  
  
"Yes. It’s this way," she said, leading him toward the back of the house.  
  
After the tenant had been comfortably settled into the master suite, Sandy rushed back outside onto the deck, listening. Everything was again quiet, and she hoped that Jared had taken the opportunity to move on and keep running.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Jared paced across the boathouse floor. He stayed alert, listening for the sounds of Welling and the other officers coming toward him. When the minutes stretched on, and it was clear that no one would be coming to search for him, he exhaled a breath of relief and sat down on the bench by the door.  
  
He still couldn’t believe he was free. He’d managed to break away from the group at the yard, and it was really just dumb luck that he’d found Tom fast asleep at his post guarding the gate outside. Jared hadn’t thought twice and made a dash for it.  
  
If he was lucky, no one had noticed his absence until the group was moved inside for dinner. Someone had to know by now. They were definitely on his trail, the question was, just how far behind him were they?  
  
Now that he was out, his only option was to prove his innocence, otherwise he’d spend the rest of his life running. He’d had a lot of time to think in the days he spent in jail, awaiting trial, and he’d figured his best shot was to get Chad to hack into the system at Pasty-Free and prove what Jared had been claiming all along, since before this whole mess started:  
  
The new, state-of-the-art beds Beverly had installed in the tanning salon were not safe. One of the Ultra Mocha Deep Fryer, v. II beds must have malfunctioned, the bulbs heating to an unsafe level and starting the fire. Jared had protested those beds right from the start. The extremely high temperatures that the bulbs heated up to were dangerous, and after Jared had seen one of the beds overheat and send a shock through the salon’s electrical system, he’d begged to have the beds replaced.  
  
But Beverly had been adamant. The new salon needed a gimmick to lure in new customers, and The Ultra Mocha Deep Fryer beds were it. After Beverly repeatedly refused to listen to reason, Jared had gone over her head and spoken to the insurance company about the problem.  
  
If Chad could just access the system, it shouldn’t be too hard to prove what had actually happened, and Jared knew he had been trying as best as he could. Unfortunately, with the tanning salon and its computers burned to the ground, it wasn’t easy going. The system was still registering as active at the corporate headquarters, but there seemed to be a glitch in the firewall, and no one could get online. Not entirely surprising, what with all the wires and motherboards melted into a scrap metal heap.  
  
The door to the boathouse creaked, and he saw a small shape peering inside. "Jared? Are you still here?" Sandy whispered.  
  
Jared stood up and pulled Sandy toward him, and she yanked the door shut behind her. "What was it? Was it Tom?"  
  
"No, it was just the new tenant. The bastard showed up a day early," Sandy said, frowning. She handed him a small stack of clean clothes. "Here, I found some of your old clothes in one of the guest bedrooms. I don’t know if they’ll still fit you, but they’ve gotta be better than that orange beacon you’re wearing now."  
  
Jared took the clothes with a quick thanks and set them on the bench.  
  
Sandy whacked Jared on the shoulder. "What are you still doing here, anyway? I figured you’d move on."  
  
"And go where, Sandy? There’s nowhere else for me to go, you know that."  
  
Sandy grumbled. "I know, I know. But Jared, what do you want me to do? The place isn’t empty anymore."  
  
Jared toed at the ground.  
  
"Does Chad know you’re here? Have you talked to him?"  
  
Jared shook his head. "No, there hasn’t been time. I haven’t talked to anyone yet; I just came straight here."  
  
"All right. I’ll call him, let him know you’re okay. I’m sure he’s heard about the escape by now and wondering where you are."  
  
"He’s not gonna be happy. He told me to stay put, let him keep trying to access the system at Pasty-Free. But he’s not making any progress, Sandy, I know it. And I couldn’t stay there any longer. I’m already as good as convicted, and I couldn’t stay."  
  
"I know," Sandy said softly. "Look, I’ll call Chad first thing in the morning. Maybe you can go stay with him. Maybe -- "  
  
"Sandy, I can’t do that. He lives in town, someone would see me. You’re the only one I know out here by the lake."  
  
"Jared, I told you that you can stay here tonight, but beyond that, I don’t know. I mean, I can’t hide you from this guy indefinitely. Do you know who is staying here?"  
  
Jared shrugged.  
  
"Jensen Ackles," Sandy said quietly, as though the tenant might hear her up at the house. "They say he’s absolutely impossible to keep satisfied and very particular about everything. From what I’ve seen so far, I’m beginning to think it’s true. I’m sure he’s bound to notice someone else here -- "  
  
"Did you say Jensen Ackles?" Jared asked.  
  
"What, Jared? The tenant -- "  
  
"Sandy!" Jared shook her by her shoulders.  
  
"Hey, stop that!" She squirmed out of his hold. "Jeez, Jared! Yes, okay. Jensen Ackles. Why do you care so much?"  
  
"Sandy, it’s Jensen Ackles! He’s like, a securities software guru. If anyone can hack into the Pasty-Free system and get through the firewall, it’s him!"  
  
Sandy’s mouth opened in shock. "Oh, no, Jared. You leave him alone. The moment he sees you, he’ll be calling Welling down here to come get you. He doesn’t know or believe you’re innocent anymore than anybody else from here to Dallas." She paused. "Not that he’s the kind of guy who seems like he would care if you were innocent."  
  
Jared frowned, knowing she was right. But here he was, with incredible luck twice in one day. He hadn’t passed up the first opportunity that had presented itself, surely he couldn’t let this one go, either?  
  
"I’m going back up to the house to finish cleaning up the deck, and then I’m going to bed for the night. I’ll meet you back here in the morning, hopefully with Chad, and we’ll figure something out, okay?" Sandy gave him a quick hug. "I know it won’t be too comfortable in here with the boats, but . . . try and get some rest." She opened the door and left.  
  
Jared turned back to the bench and lay down across it, the hard surface digging into his bruised body, and thought.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
The sun rose early, warning of the blistering heat it would provide by midday. Sandy was awake at dawn, hoping to reach Chad. She’d tried calling him several times already, but Chad had never been a morning person. She left him a message, telling him to meet her at the boathouse as soon as he could.  
  
She was just tiptoeing across the living area when she heard a car pull up outside and the car door slamming shut. "Shit!" she whispered and hung her head. Sandy ran for the door, but didn’t get there before someone was pounding on the other side and frantically ringing the doorbell.  
  
"I’m coming, I’m coming," she called and opened the door.  
  
No luck this time. It was definitely Officer Welling gracing the front porch this morning. "Tom," she said, not bothering to hide her irritation. "What can I do for you at this ungodly hour of the morning?"  
  
"I’m here to search the premises," Tom said. "I’m sure by now that you’ve heard Jared Padalecki escaped from custody last night, and we’re out searching all over the county until we find him."  
  
"Did he, now?" Sandy asked. "Well, I can assure you, he is not here. Good day!"  
  
She tried to close the front door, but he held it open. "Come on, Sandy, I have to check for myself. I have to check everywhere."  
  
Sandy’s eyes narrowed. "Look, I told you he’s not here, and that’s that. Do you have a search warrant?"  
  
"Well, no, but -- "  
  
"Then you’re not getting inside this house! Jared is not here, and I have a new tenant right now who insists on his peace and quiet -- "  
  
"Sandy, I’m sorry, but you have to let me in!" Tom pushed his way passed her and into the house. Between last night and this morning, Sandy was seriously considering installing a chain on the doorframe.  
  
"What in the hell is going on out here?"  
  
Sandy and Tom both turned to see Jensen, standing at the other end of the living area, heavy glasses back in place, but still in his striped pyjamas. Sandy stared, wondering who would wear such long, flannel pyjamas in the Texas heat.  
  
Jensen noticed her look and crossed his arms over his chest. "Miss McCoy? What is this? I told you I didn’t want a lot of racket while I’m staying here."  
  
"Oh, Mr. Ackles, I’m so sorry we woke you up! I was trying to keep him from coming inside, but he insisted," Sandy said.  
  
"Mr. Ackles, is it? I’m Officer Welling, with the B’Effey police. We had a fugitive escape from county last night and we’re just checking every building to see -- "  
  
Jensen sighed. "Is that all? No need for you to search the premises, I’ve been here all night. There is no one else here. Goodbye." Jensen turned to walk back down the hall to the bedroom.  
  
Sandy grinned at Tom, shoving him back out the door. "I told you. Now you’re gonna have to -- "  
  
"Sandy?"  
  
She looked over Tom’s shoulder to see Chad walking in the open doorway. Suddenly, Sandy, Tom and Chad were all speaking at once.  
  
"Tom? What’s up, man? What’s going on?" Chad asked.  
  
"Chad, have you seen Padalecki? Do you know where he is?" Tom asked.  
  
"Chad, what are you doing here?" Sandy asked.  
  
Chad stopped and looked at Sandy. "You left me a message, told me to meet you out here as soon as I could."  
  
Tom’s eyes narrowed as he turned to look back at Sandy.  
  
"What? I didn’t leave you a message. What are you talking about?" Sandy asked, winking rapidly at him several times.  
  
"Sandy, you got something in your eye? Why are you blinking at me like that?" Chad asked.  
  
Sandy huffed. "I’m not!" she said, and winked again.  
  
Chad continued to stare at her, confused.  
  
Tom looked back and forth between the two. "All right, what the heck -- "  
  
"What is it  now ?"  
  
The three turned to see Jensen back in the room, still in his long pyjamas.  
  
"Jensen?" Chad said, walking over to him. "Oh, hey, man! Long time, no see, right? How’ve you been? I didn’t know you were in town."  
  
"Well, I really wasn’t planning on -- " Jensen started.  
  
"You two know each other?" Sandy asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah!" Chad said, slapping Jensen hard on the back. "Jensen and I were old roommates up at UT Dallas, right man?" Chad laughed. "I never would have made it through old Morgan’s courses without skating by on Jensen’s coattails."  Chad grinned.  
  
Jensen grimaced and coughed, pushing his glasses back up his nose.  
  
"Ah, now don’t be humble, Jen! We can’t all be coding geeks." Chad slapped him on the back again. "I hear you’re doing real well now, man. That’s great! Word is, this new security software of yours is gonna be impenetrable!"  
  
"Yeah, we’ll see," Jensen said quietly, chin tilting up. "So, uh. What are you up to these days? You came back out here to the boonies after graduation?" He quickly looked over to Sandy and Tom, to see if they were offended by his comment. Sandy gave him a hard glare.  
  
"Yep! Yeah, I came back out here. Got a position teaching computer science up at B’Effey High, my old alma mater."  Chad beamed. "Hey! You know, I’ve got a little something I think you could help me with, what do you say?"  
  
Jensen was just opening his mouth to speak when a series of sharp clicking sounds filled the room. They all turned to see a tiny young blonde, with a camera obscuring her face. "Say cheese, everyone!" she said, and continued taking pictures.  
  
Sandy leapt forward. "Kristen! What are you doing? Stop!" She pulled the camera lens down, away from her tenant’s face. She looked around quickly, knowing that wherever Kristen’s camera was, Jason was sure to be close behind.  
  
"Mr. Ackles!" shouted a voice from behind Kristen. "Mr. Ackles, we’re from the local paper, The B’Effey Rag. How about a quick interview? Our readers would love to know your opinion of the Padalecki defense strategy and the prisoner’s escape last night."  
  
Jensen gaped. "No, I will not give an interview. I have no interest in the details of the Padalecki case and no opinion to give. Now, Miss McCoy if you could please -- "  
  
Chad turned to Tom and Sandy. "He escaped?"  
  
Sandy rolled her eyes.  
  
Tom jumped in. "Yes, he escaped. I’m here to search the house!"  
  
Kristen was snapping pictures again, and Jason was pestering Jensen for the interview. Chad was insisting to Tom that his best friend was innocent, and Tom was trying to nose around the room.  
  
Sandy put her hand up to her mouth and whistled loudly. Everyone shut up and looked at her.  
  
"All right!" she shouted, clapping her hands together. "Everybody, outside! Mr. Ackles wants quiet, and that’s what he’s going to get!"  
  
They continued to stare.  
  
"Go!" she said, waving her hands toward the door. "Get out, go!"  
  
Everyone started filing toward the door. Chad turned to look back at Sandy. "Even me?"  
  
"Yes, you too," Sandy said.  
  
"But Sandy . . . You told me to meet you up here!"  
  
Tom paused on the front porch.  
  
"No, I told you I didn’t. Get lost," Sandy said, giving him a last push out and closing the front door. She leaned back against it and sighed.  
  
Jensen was still in the living room, looking very dissatisfied. "Miss McCoy, I hope this does not become a habit. I came out here to have some peace, not to be bombarded by parades before I’ve even had my morning coffee."  
  
Sandy nodded. "Yes, I’m sorry, Mr. Ackles. I’m sure it won’t happen again. Uh, can I fix you that coffee now?" She smiled.  
  
Jensen frowned and looked down, seeming to have forgotten he was still in his pyjamas. He flushed, and Sandy noticed for the first time that, underneath his severe appearance and thick glasses, he was quite an attractive man.  
  
"Yes, Miss McCoy. I’d like that. I’ll just go and . . . change," he said, leaving the room.  
  
Sandy threw open the door and raced out to the front, hoping Chad hadn’t left yet. He was just about to back out of the yard, the last car in a long queue of vehicles. She waved him down, and he stopped.  
  
Running up to his window, she leaned in. "Jared’s in the boathouse!" she whispered, looking around. "He’s been here since last night."  
  
Chad’s eyes widened. "Are you serious? What the hell is he thinking? What are you gonna do?"  
  
"Honestly? I don’t know," Sandy said. "He wants you to keep working on that firewall."  
  
"Jensen could help! He could do it. It’d be a snap for him -- " Chad said.  
  
"Slow down, Chad. You sound just like Jared." Sandy looked back toward the house. "Besides, you heard him. He’s not interested in this case, not in the least. Even if we could convince him not to call Tom . . . Just get back home, and get back to work, okay? I’ll deal with Jared here."  
  
Sandy ran back inside and had the coffee brewing just as Jensen entered the kitchen, hair wet and laptop in hand.  
  
"It looks like a nice morning out, Miss McCoy," he said. "I think I’ll do a bit of work outside. Would you bring me my coffee out on the deck? Thanks."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Jared was getting restless. He hadn’t slept well the night before; the hard wooden bench and the chirping of locusts didn’t make for an ideal sleeping arrangement. He’d woken a couple of hours earlier, unsure of when to expect Sandy’s return.  
  
Now, having nearly given up expecting her arrival, Jared’s stomach was demanding his attention. The last meal he’d had was lunchtime the day before. There hadn’t really been time or opportunity to find food since he’d escaped. Jared had hoped Sandy would bring him something, but his stomach’s rumbling was becoming insistent.  
  
He’d heard several cars arriving up by the house, followed by raised voices, although he’d been unable to understand any distinct words. For the last twenty minutes, though, all had been quiet.  
  
Crossing his fingers that the tenant either had already left for the morning or was still in bed, Jared left the tentative security of the boathouse and made his way up the short path to the house.  
  
Halfway up the deck stairs, Jared realized the house was not as empty as he’d hoped. The man sitting at the table in the shade of the surrounding trees must be the new tenant, Jensen Ackles. He was completely engrossed in the laptop in front of him, tapping softly at the keys and oblivious to Jared’s presence.  
  
Jared took the opportunity to study him closely. He’d naturally heard plenty about the man. Anyone who was in the software securities field had.  
  
Of course, Jared did not fit into that category. He was perfectly happy working for Beverly as assistant manager of the new Pasty-Free Tanning Salon. The pay was pretty decent, and the employees were provided with an option for a 401K. And even though Jared didn’t know exactly what that meant, he knew it was a good thing. He got to give indispensable skin care advice to all the cute guys who were members of the salon. He got all the free tanning he wanted and was always one of the first to try out the new products before they were sold at the salon. All in all, Jared thought he had a pretty good job.  
  
Or at least, he did until the salon had burned down, and Jared had been arrested for arson and the murder of his manager, Alexis, who had been inside at the time of the fire.  
  
So really, he wasn’t all that familiar with computers and stuff. He’d taken the obligatory computer science courses in high school, and he knew how to use the touchscreen system they’d used at Pasty-Free, but that was about as high tech as Jared got, aside from navigating his favorite porn sites and checking his Facebook. But having Chad, hopeful software master extraordinaire, as a best friend, Jared had learned enough about anybody that was anybody in software to know who was who through osmosis. And since Jensen had roomed with Chad while they were in college, Jensen was one of Chad’s heroes and had been a popular topic.  
  
But even so, he’d never actually  seen Jensen Ackles. The man was quite insistent on his privacy. Any of the articles Jared had seen in magazines around Chad’s house had been without photographs of the man himself. Looking at him now, Jared figured that was probably a good thing.  
  
From where he stood, Jared could tell that Jensen had a strong profile and square, masculine jaw, but a good portion of his face was obscured by the heavy glasses sliding halfway down his freckled nose. His part was straight as an arrow, short hair heavily coated in product and firmly resisting the light breeze coming off of the lake. His clothes appeared starched and pressed, the ends of his crisp slacks nearly covering his leather sandals.  
  
In short, he clearly had no sense of proper style and no obvious interest in his sexual attraction. Jared always found people like this disheartening.  
  
Jared reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, suddenly conscious of the absolute fright he himself must appear. The clothes Sandy had found weren’t exactly a perfect fit, but they were better than the alternative.  
  
He was suddenly very thankful for long summers spent at the lake house with Sandy and Chad, days spent relaxing out on the water with the beer they’d managed to swipe from the fridge when Sandy’s parents weren’t home.  
  
The fidgeting must have caught Jensen’s attention, because the next thing Jared knew, he was looking straight at him, and their eyes locked. Jared froze, unsure of what to do or say. It’s not everyday he was a fugitive, hiding out before getting his fool self caught.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Jensen asked, eyebrows raised.  
  
Jared’s heart raced, desperately thinking of an excuse for who he was and why he would be approaching the house of a stranger at this hour of the morning.  
  
"I . . . I’m -- "  
  
"Oh, that’s just Jared," Sandy said, coffee pot in hand and setting a full mug on the table next to the laptop. Jared had been so engrossed in watching Jensen, he hadn’t even noticed her come out onto the deck. "He keeps an eye out down by the dock, other end of the lake, and cares for the boats down in our boathouse."  
  
Jared heaved a sigh of relief. Sandy always was quick on her feet. He walked up the last of the stairs and over to where Jensen was sitting.  
  
Jensen pushed his glasses farther up his nose and continued to stare at Jared, eyes traveling his body from head to toe. Despite the fact that Jensen appeared to be several inches shorter than Jared, and the fact that he was  sitting down , Jensen somehow still managed to look down his nose at him. He picked up his coffee and took a gulp. "Okay," Jensen said. "But what exactly is he doing here?"  
  
Jared frowned. " He was hoping that Miss Sandy might be so grateful of the special care and attention  he gave to her boats, she might be willing to offer him breakfast."  
  
Sandy’s eyes widened, and her hand covered her mouth. "Oh, gosh, Jared!" she said. "Of course; sure. I was just about to fix Mr. Ackles his breakfast anyway. I’d be happy to fix something for you, as well." She set the coffee pot on the table a bit indelicately and rushed back into the house.  
  
Jensen was still watching him, and Jared found the impromptu staring contest unnerving. He looked away and pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table. "Do you mind?"  
  
Finally, Jensen smiled, his face lighting up, and Jared’s stomach flipped. For the first time, he noticed full, pink lips and even, white teeth.  
  
"Of course not," Jensen said.  
  
Jensen turned back to his laptop for a minute before closing it and setting it aside.  
  
They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Jensen cleared his throat. "So, uh, Jared -- It i s Jared, right?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Jared said. "Jared."  
  
"Right. Well, I’m Jensen. I’m staying here for the summer."  
  
"Yeah, Sandy mentioned that she would be renting the lake house this year."  
  
"Yeah . . . Uh, well, that’s me."  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
A leaf dropped down from one of the trees, landing on the table, and Jared picked it up, twisting it in his fingers as the conversation lulled.  
  
"So, um. Are you originally from B’ -- Ah, BF -- " Jensen asked.  
  
"B’Effey," Jared corrected.  
  
"BFE?" Jensen smirked.  
  
"No, B’Effey.  B’Effey ." Jared glared. "And, yeah. I grew up here."  
  
Sandy returned, carrying a tray laden with scrambled eggs, sausage and toast, as well as an extra coffee mug for Jared. "Here we are, boys," she said, sitting down at the table and serving herself a plate of breakfast.  
  
Jared shovels a pile of eggs onto his plate. "So, Sandy. I thought I heard a bunch of racket up here this morning. Everything alright?"  
  
"Well, Tom showed up here. Apparently,  that guy from the Pasty-Free Tanning Salon fire escaped from jail last night," she said with a pointed glare. "And the police are checking all over for him. Tom seemed to think he might have come by here."  
  
"Hmm, I guess he figured out pretty quickly that he didn’t."  
  
"Not exactly. Chad showed up just as I was trying to get Tom to leave."  
  
"Chad was here?" Jared asked, thoughtful. Maybe Chad had already asked Jensen for his help. "Jensen, did you get to meet Chad? He’s an old friend of mine."  
  
"Yeah, I saw Chad. I already knew him, though. He and I were roommates in college," Jensen said.  
  
"Oh, is that right?" Jared smiled across at Sandy.  
  
"Yep. Chad and I were studying the same thing. But I ended up in security. Chad never really had a head for that."  
  
Jared glanced across at Jensen, who was obliviously spreading jam across an English muffin. This was the perfect time to see what he knew about the case and fill him in. The sooner he could get Jensen to help Chad hack into the salon’s system, the better.  
  
"So  that guy escaped, huh?" Jared asked Sandy. "Can’t say that I blame him, what with him being innocent and all. This town’s got him practically convicted of murder before the trial has even started. I probably would have tried to escape, too."  
  
He winked at Sandy. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head. Jared nudged her foot under the table and subtly cocked his head toward Jensen, quietly eating.  
  
Sandy blushed. "Oh! Oh, yeah. Terrible business, that. It’s such a shame that the police aren’t even really investigating any other leads."  
  
"I know. And Chad tells me that if they would just try to access the salon’s system, to prove that one of those defective beds caused the fire, then the whole mess could be cleared up. But the police aren’t trying, and Chad can’t seem to bypass the firewall."  
  
They both paused and turned to stare at Jensen as he sipped his second cup of coffee. Jared and Sandy shared a look.  
  
"Hey. Hey, Jensen," Jared said.  
  
"Hmm," Jensen hummed as he sliced a piece of sausage with his knife.  
  
"Aren’t you, uh. I mean, can’t you . . ."  
  
"What?" Jensen asked, looking up from his breakfast for the first time.  
  
"You could get passed a firewall pretty easily, right?"  
  
Jensen frowned. "Sure, I could. Why?"  
  
"Well, I was just thinking. Maybe if you could help Chad do it, then he could prove that the guy is innocent and -- "  
  
"Oh, hey, uh-uh. No way, Jared," Jensen said, shaking his head and waving his knife and fork. "I design security software to prevent people from doing exactly that. I’m not about to start doing it myself."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but -- "  
  
"No. I won’t do it. It goes against everything I believe in. I’m sorry for Chad’s friend, if he really is innocent, but I can’t do that."  
  
Jared’s shoulders slumped, but he wouldn’t give up. Jared wasn’t sure that he believed in fate or whatever, but surely Jensen being right there, right now? There must be a reason, and it had to be that he would help Jared. Getting that help was just gonna be a bit harder than he’d thought.  
  
Jensen stood. "Breakfast was wonderful, thank you, Miss McCoy." He picked up his laptop and looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes with one hand. "The sun’s getting to be a bit much for me, I’m afraid. I think I’ll do a bit of work inside today."  
  
Jensen walked across the deck and paused as he opened the door to the house, turning back to look at Jared. "It was nice meeting you, Jared," he said with a smile, then went inside and closed the door.  
  
Jared turned to Sandy. "You go after him and keep working on him."  
  
"Jared, I don’t think this is going to work. You heard him; it’s against his personal moral code or something!" Sandy said.  
  
"Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he won’t. Just means that he needs a little added incentive, that’s all," Jared said, staring hard at the door Jensen had gone through.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
After Sandy finished cleaning up the kitchen, she found Jensen sitting in the living room. His laptop was open, but on the coffee table. Jensen was squinting into the sunlight pouring in from the back window. She looked outside and noticed Jared was still sitting at the table, head in his hands and lost in thought.  
  
"Mr. Ackles?" Sandy asked.  
  
Jensen jumped, startled.  
  
"Is there anything I can get you? A glass of iced tea, perhaps? Or I could make some fresh lemonade?"  
  
Having been caught staring at Jared, Jensen blushed and picked up the computer. "Oh, no, Miss McCoy. I’m fine."  
  
Sandy nodded and twisted her hands in front of her. She needed to try and help Jared, but she wasn’t sure exactly how. She walked to the windows and adjusted the blinds back and forth absently, shielding the room from the direct sunlight.  
  
When she looked back at Jensen, the laptop was resting on his thighs but he still wasn’t looking at the screen.  
  
"So," he said. "You’ve, uh. You’ve known Jared for a long time?"  
  
"Sure," she said. "Ever since we were kids. We were best friends all through high school. He and Chad and I used to spend our summers here at the lake house every year." She paused. "And then we grew up."  
  
"Yeah? He seems like a nice guy," Jensen said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "He, uh. He live around here? Down by the lake, I mean."  
  
Sandy spoke carefully. "He’s staying down here right now, yes. To watch after the boats."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Jensen looked down at the laptop screen. Sandy looked back outside and noticed Jared had left. A few minutes passed, but the soft sound of pressed keys never came.  
  
"So I guess he lives alone, then." It wasn’t exactly a question.  
  
Sandy blinked. Jensen was interested in Jared? She shouldn’t be too surprised; anybody with eyes would be interested in Jared. But she never would have guessed that Jensen was gay or bi. Maybe this would be the incentive they needed to get Jensen’s help?  
  
"Um." Sandy cleared her throat. "Yeah. He lives alone. He does now, I mean. He had a partner for a few years, but. They split."  
  
 She watched Jensen closely as he chewed at his lower lip, clearly wondering if she had meant that comment the way it sounded. She could always clarify.  
  
"He and Jared broke up not too long ago."  
  
Jensen smiled faintly.  
  
Sandy opened her mouth to encourage the issue, but was interrupted by a sharp knocking at the front door.  
  
Jensen’s head dropped to rest against the back of the couch, and he sighed. "What now?"  
  
Sandy opened the door to find a tall man, attractive and in his early forties. He gave her a wide grin.  
  
"Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m Jeff Morgan. I’m looking for Jensen Ackles; I believe he’s staying here," the man said.  
  
"Yes, of course. Please, come in."  
  
She led him into the living area where Jensen sat. "Mr. Ackles? Mr. Morgan is here to see you."  
  
Jensen looked up in surprise. "Jeff! What are you doing all the way out here?"  
  
"I came out here to see you, of course," Jeff said.  
  
Sandy watched as the two men shared a quick hug, then excused herself to the kitchen. She left the door slightly ajar as she emptied the dishwasher. She wasn’t generally the eavesdropping sort, but anything she learned about Jensen at this point could be used to help Jared, so she was willing to go to extremes.  
  
They shared insignificant small talk for a few minutes, and Sandy wrinkled her nose. She was just setting the last of the flatware into its place when the conversation turned interesting.  
  
"So tell me why you came all the way out here, Jeff. If you’d just wanted to see how I was doing, you could have called."  
  
"How’s the new software coming, Jensen?"  
  
"Good, good." Jensen paused. "Just putting in the last few finishing touches, actually. I’m sure it will be done by the end of the summer."  
  
"Okay. Tell me, Jensen. Is it really as impermeable as I’ve heard?"  
  
"It is. It really is, Jeff. It’s bulletproof." Sandy could hear the pride in Jensen’s voice.  
  
"That’s what I wanted to hear. Listen, I know it’s probably still a little early for this, but I want this software for Morgan Securities. I wanted to talk to you before anybody else made you an offer. And I want you to know that I’m willing to outbid anyone else that comes along."  
  
There was the sound of rustling paper, and then Jensen gasped.  
  
"Jeff, I don’t know, man. This is -- "  
  
"Less than it’s worth, I’m sure."  
  
Sandy heard their footsteps as they walked across the hardwood floor toward the door.  
  
"Look, Jensen. You were the brightest student I ever had, and I’m sure that if you say it will be the best we’ve ever seen, then I trust you. And I want it. Give me a call when it’s finished, and we’ll talk more."  
  
The front door closed.  
  
Sandy set the last glass into the cupboard softly and walked back into the living area. Jensen was still standing by the door, staring at the wall and smiling.  
  
Sandy coughed. "Is everything alright, Mr. Ackles?"  
  
Jensen turned to look at Sandy, his face beaming. "Yeah. Everything’s perfect, Miss McCoy. Just perfect."  
  
He grinned and sat back down on the sofa, opening up the laptop and powering it on.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Sitting in the stifling heat of the boathouse all afternoon had been exhausting. Once the sun finally set, Jared left the boathouse for a walk down by the water. B’Effey Lake wasn’t particularly large, but it was big enough to provide plenty of space between the neighboring houses along its shore. The lights from the other homes barely reached him, leaving him safely in the cover of darkness.  
  
He kicked off his shoes and let the warm water drift up to his ankles. A quick dip in the lake would help cool him off and wash away the sweat of the day. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it to rest by his shoes.  
  
"How’s the water?"  
  
Jared whirled around to see Jensen standing a few feet behind him. He hadn’t seen him leaning up against a tree in the near black around them.  
  
Jensen grinned sheepishly. "I’m sorry I startled you."  
  
"No," Jared said. "No problem. The water’s warm, actually. I was just thinking I’d go for a swim."  
  
"Yeah?" Jensen asked, walking toward the shore. "Mind if I join you?"  
  
Before Jared could answer, Jensen took of his shirt and dropped it onto the sand. Jared’s eyes widened at the toned, freckled flesh revealed to him. Jensen clearly spent a fair amount of time at the gym. Jared was shocked that Jensen had managed to hide his muscles underneath his clothes so completely.  
  
Jensen’s slacks quickly hit the small pile of clothes behind them, leaving him in nothing but boxers and thick glasses. He looked back over at Jared, and Jared coughed when he realized he’d been staring.  
  
Jared stripped down to his boxers and walked out into the water, feeling the warmth lapping up until he was chest deep. He dunked his head under briefly and let the water soothe his skin and saturate his hair.  
  
When he came back up, Jensen was beside him floating on his back a few feet away. Jared took the opportunity to again admire the wet body in front of him.  
  
"So you do this a lot?" Jensen’s voice sounded smooth and deep in the darkness.  
  
"Um, what?" Jared choked.  
  
"You do this a lot? Swim half-naked down here in the water when there’s no one else around?"  
  
"Oh. Sometimes. I mean, I used to a lot more when I was a kid. I don’t really get a chance to much anymore . . ."  
  
Jensen drifted closer and stood in front of Jared. He glasses were gone and, even in the dark of the lake, Jared could see his face clearly. His lashes were full and thick, spiked from the water; his cheekbones high and eyes wide, dominating his face. He combed his fingers though his hair, the excess water sliding down his face and leaving his hair artfully rumpled.  
  
Jared was amazed at just how attractive Jensen was underneath the image he projected. The last thing he’d expected was the man in front of him, wet and smiling up at him.  
  
Jared licked his lips as Jensen moved closer and reached up to hold the back of his neck. "I hope I’m not reading this wrong . . ."  
  
And then Jensen’s lips were pressed to his, warm and wet, inviting and incredibly soft. It didn’t last long, and then Jensen pulled back, his eyes open and wary. "Is this okay?" he asked, thumb stroking along the column of Jared’s throat. "Sandy . . . Sandy told me you just got out of a relationship, so if this is too soon or -- "  
  
Jared cut Jensen off, lips sliding along his open mouth, and he felt Jensen shiver. His tongue slid along Jensen’s lower lip, slipping inside the warmth of his mouth and meeting the soft velvet of Jensen’s tongue. Jensen tasted like sunshine in the dark black around them. Jensen groaned, and Jared’s hands moved up to cup the back of his head.  
  
When they pulled apart again, they were both panting, the water flowing between them heated. Jensen nuzzled into his neck, his lips rubbing along the curve of his jaw.  
  
"Damn," Jensen chuckled.  
  
"Yeah," Jared said.  
  
"I didn’t expect to find someone like you all the way out here." Jensen nibbled at the corner of his mouth. "I came out here to get away from this kind of distraction, you know?"  
  
"Is that right?" Jared asked, hands sliding down to rub soft circles into skin of Jensen’s lower back.  
  
"Yeah," Jensen breathed, then covered Jared’s lips with his own again.  
  
The kiss lasted longer this time, their lips sliding together slick and slow before Jared pulled back. "Wait, wait." He pushed lightly at Jensen’s shoulders, not moving him away but getting his attention. "Did you say Sandy . . ."  
  
Jensen scrunched his eyebrows. "Yeah. Is that okay? I mean, I was kinda asking anyway. She wasn’t just talking about you or anything."  
  
"No, that’s. That’s fine." Jared frowned. He couldn’t imagine why Sandy would tell Jensen that he’d just gotten out of a relationship.  
  
Jensen shivered again, but this time it was from the cold. Jared’s hands rubbed the solid muscle of Jensen’s biceps, warming him.  
  
"Come on," Jared said, grabbing Jensen’s hand. "The water’s cooling now. Let’s get out of this water before we both freeze."  
  
The swim to shore was quick. The light nighttime breeze hit Jared’s wet skin, and he trembled. He sighed when he realized he had no towel and used his shirt to dry off the best he could. After he pulled his shorts on, he looked up and saw Jensen already dressed, standing off awkwardly.  
  
"So. I gotta . . . get back up to the house and uh," Jensen mumbled.  
  
"Yeah, okay," Jared said, watching Jensen’s retreating back. Jared scratched his head, trying to remember if he’d said the wrong thing. He didn’t think so, but there was the possibility that Jensen thought he was being rejected.  
  
Unsure, Jared chased after him and grabbed his arm, turning him around. Jensen looked up at him, eyes wide and again hidden behind his damn glasses. His lips parted as though to speak, but then his jaw clenched, and he looked down at the ground.  
  
"Hey," Jared said. He cupped Jensen’s chin, lifting his face back up toward him, and when Jensen sighed softly, Jared leaned in and gave him a last, slow kiss. "I’ll see you tomorrow, right?"  
  
"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Jensen smiled, his eyes bright, and then turned and walked back up to the house.  
  
Jared watched his ass the whole way.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Sandy couldn’t help noticing the abrupt change in Jensen’s attitude. From the moment he bounded into the living room, wearing a soft polo and faded jeans, his hair neatly combed but not styled, until he was sitting down at the kitchen table with his first cup of coffee, Jensen didn’t stop smiling.  
  
Sandy knew full well that Jared was one of the few things in life to that could turn someone around that quickly. Once Jensen saw the way the entire town, including Judge Rosenbaum, was convinced of Jared’s guilt despite the lack of sufficient evidence, he would have to agree to help them.  
  
With a small smile of her own, Sandy took a seat across the table from Jensen and sipped her own mug of coffee. "You’re looking quite refreshed this morning."  
  
"Mmm, yes. I don’t mind telling you that I slept like a rock last night," Jensen said.  
  
"In that case, I’m sure you won’t be opposed to a quick trip into town," Sandy said. "The first of the summer barbecues is this afternoon at B’Effey Park. The sun seems nice today, and the food is always fantastic."  
  
Jensen frowned a little bit and glanced out the window toward the lake. "Maybe." He looked down at his coffee mug, then took a large gulp. "Has, uh. Has Jared been up to the house yet this morning?"  
  
Gotcha.  
  
Sandy shrugged. "Yes, I already fed him about an hour ago. He wanted to get an early start down at the lake to be finished up in time for the barbecue . . ." She peeked at Jensen over the top of her mug.  
  
"Oh, I see," he said, fiddling with his watch.  
  
One, two, three . . .  
  
"So, what time is the barbecue?"  
  
Sandy grinned across at him. "The festivities start at noon, so we’d probably need to leave here about a quarter ‘til."  
  
They finished their coffee quietly, Jensen staring out at the lake, trying to hide the slight blush on his cheeks, and Sandy with her face turned down into her mug to conceal her smirk.  
  
"Well," Jensen said, rising. "I guess I’d better try to get a bit of work in before we leave. I’ll be in the study."  
  
After he left the kitchen, Sandy quickly grabbed a box of Cocoa Puffs and a carton of milk, then raced out back down the boathouse path.  
  
Jared was in the middle of a stretch, up on his toes and arms high above his head when Sandy found him in the boathouse. His smile quickly faded to a frown when his gaze met the breakfast in her hands.  
  
"Gee, Sandy. I wasn’t really expecting room service," he said.  
  
Ignoring the sarcasm, Sandy thrust the cereal into his hands. "I told Jensen you’d already eaten, so you can’t be seen at the house."  
  
The lines on Jared’s forehead deepened. "Why would you say that?"  
  
"Because it was the only way I could get him to go to the barbecue today."  
  
"But Sandy, why on earth do you want to go spend the afternoon with all those people who turned their backs on me?" Jared whined, sounding wounded.  
  
"Because, numbskull. Once Jensen sees how biased Mike and the jury pool are, he’ll have to recognize how utterly hopeless your case is without his help."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Sandy winced. "Sorry, honey, but it’s true. Chad is completely inept and not getting anywhere. We need Jensen with us on this."  
  
Jared sighed and sat down on the bench. "Yeah, I know. You’re right."  
  
Sandy sat next to him and opened the cereal box, pulling out a handful of the sugary puffs. They munched silently for a few minutes.  
  
"I better get back up to the house and on the road. I wanna be sure to get Jensen there early, so he can get the full effect of the mood."  
  
"Yeah, okay." Jared nodded. "How’s he doing this morning?"  
  
Sandy rolled her eyes. "Deliriously happy. He’s quite smitten with you, you know. Whatever you’re doing, it’s working."  
  
"Really?" Jared asked, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.  
  
Sandy sucked in a breath and choked on a Cocoa Puff. After a minute of hacking and coughing and Jared patting her on the back, she stared up at him. "You’re smitten, too, aren’t you?"  
  
Jared turned his back, shaking his head.  
  
"No, you are! You’re completely twitterpated! Don’t deny it, Jared. I can read you like a book."  
  
He looked back at her and shrugged, hands deep in his pockets.  
  
"Something happened last night, didn’t it?" she squealed. "Oh, my god. What aren’t you telling me?"  
  
"Nothing, okay. It’s nothing. I mean, yeah. I guess I kinda like him, but -- "  
  
Sandy cut him off by wrapping her arms around his waist and beaming up at him.  
  
"It’s no big deal. I’m still a fugitive from justice, remember?"  
  
"Yeah. And it’s time for me to go do my part to save your big ass."  
  
The time was just reaching eleven thirty when Sandy arrived back at the house. A quick powder to her nose and a fluff of her hair, and she found Jensen in the study, as he’d said, with his eyes on the laptop. A few minutes more and she hustled him into her car, headed into town.  
  
A crowd was just beginning to gather around the picnic tables as Sandy and Jensen arrived at the park; women in breezy skirts and tank tops setting out platter after platter of sweet-smelling barbecue and beans, potato salad and cobs of corn, men laughing and lounging in folding chairs, passing around cans of icy beer.  
  
Sandy didn’t have any trouble introducing Jensen to her friends and neighbors. Word had quickly spread around town about her new summer tenant, his minor celebrity status fueling the gossip. She found herself handing out so many introductions that even Sandy was beginning to forget who was who, but Jensen just smiled and greeted everyone who approached him, albeit a bit stiffly.  
  
By the time everyone was ready to sit down to lunch, Jensen, along with Sandy, had been invited to sit at the coveted table shared by the mayor, city council members, and, as luck would have it, Judge Rosenbaum. The judge sat down across from Jensen, pleased to be in such close proximity with the local star.  
  
"So, tell me, Jensen," Judge Rosenbaum said, leaning toward Jensen familiarly, "what do you think of our little town out here? Quite a big change from your Dallas, huh?"  
  
Jensen set down his glass of sweet tea. "Well, I’ve only been in town for a couple of days now, so it’s a bit early to say, but so far, I’d say BFE is very quaint -- "  
  
"B’Effey," Rosenbaum sighed.  
  
"BFE?" Jensen asked, blinking.  
  
"B’Effey." Rosenbaum scowled.  
  
"Ah. Right." Jensen picked up his utensils and cut into a slice of brisket.  
  
Displeased with Jensen’s lack of interest, the judge seemed to notice Sandy sitting beside Jensen for the first time. "And how are you this afternoon, Miss McCoy? Enjoying the mild weather this summer, I hope?"  
  
"I’m doing just fine, thank -- "  
  
"And you really haven’t seen any of your friend, Miss McCoy? You know, I really can’t imagine anywhere else he would go after he escaped."  
  
"No, Your Honor, he hasn’t come to see me -- "  
  
"Well, no matter. Can’t hide forever. He’ll turn up eventually, and we’ll get the trial underway. And when we do, I’ll sentence him with a smile on my face." Rosenbaum grinned.  
  
Sandy saw Jensen shift uncomfortably next to her. "Don’t you think maybe you should wait until the trial, when you hear the evidence and listen to the defense before you decide something like that?" Jensen asked.  
  
"Oh, don’t need any evidence, son! The boy is clearly guilty, everyone knows that," the judge said.  
  
The blood rushed to Sandy’s cheeks, warming her skin as weeks of anger boiled to the surface. "Now, Mike, you know that’s not fair! He is innocent and you have no proof -- "  
  
"Stop with the indignant scene, Sandy."  
  
She looked over her shoulder to see Justin, can of beer in hand and looking about three sheets to the wind, lunchtime or not.  
  
"No one believes Padalecki is innocent, and you’re not gonna change their minds," Justin said. "Hell, his guilt is as clear as day! It can’t have been anyone else. And if you believe anything that damn queer says, you’re just as fucked as him."  
  
Jensen stiffened in his seat, and Sandy looked at him in time to see his jaw clench twice. Calmly, he lifted his napkin from his lap, wiped his mouth, and set the cloth on his plate. He stood slowly and turned to Justin, eyeing him closely from head to toe.  
  
"You're drunk, and that's the only reason I’m going to excuse the way you've spoken to a lady. Next time . . ." Jensen paused. "There won’t be a next time."  
  
The couple of inches of height in Justin’s favor quickly melted away as Justin backed down and took a gulp from his beer. "Whatever you say, boss."  
  
"Miss McCoy, I think it’s time we returned to the house," Jensen said, offering Sandy his hand to help her from her seat. "The flies seem to be overrunning the picnic, and I suddenly feel like a long swim to wash away the buzzing."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Another day spent twiddling his thumbs in the boathouse, and Jared was losing his mind. The cereal Sandy had brought him for breakfast hadn’t exactly been filling, and by one o’clock, the rumbling of his stomach was echoing through the small room. With Sandy and Jensen gone for the afternoon, Jared decided it would be alright for him to walk up to the kitchen and fix himself a proper lunch, maybe watch a bit of tv.  
  
After cleaning up the signs of his presence, Jared snagged a cold six-pack from the refrigerator and headed back down to the lake. When he reached the boathouse, he found Jensen sitting on the dock, feet kicking lightly through the rippling water. He looked up as Jared approached and stood, waving Jared over.  
  
"Hey," Jensen said, smiling. "Care for some company?" He motioned toward the beer.  
  
"Sure," Jared said. He glanced up and down along the lake. There were a couple of boats out on the water, people enjoying the warm summer weather. He didn’t think they’d be able to recognize him from such a distance, but he didn’t want to take the chance. "But I probably shouldn’t let Sandy catch me out here drinking on the job. Come sit in the boathouse, and we can get out of the sun."  
  
Jensen laughed, teasing. "Yeah, that Miss McCoy seems hard as nails, man. Cross her and you’re in some serious shit." He shook his head, but followed Jared into the boathouse.  
  
The space was cramped and muggy, but once they sat down on the bench and took the first long gulps of their beers, Jared relaxed and stretched his legs.  
  
"Sandy said she was gonna try to drag you out to the barbecue this afternoon," Jared said.  
  
Jensen shook his head and smiled, peeling the label on his bottle. "No offense, Jared, but . . . This is one backwater fucking town."  
  
"Oh, yeah? Not that I disagree with you, but what makes you say that?"  
  
"Just some of the people I talked to. Myopic and narrow-minded." Jensen took another drink from his beer and sat quietly for a few minutes.  
  
"Like that guy. Pada . . . whatever. The one who pulled a Houdini the other night and escaped from jail? I sure as shit wouldn’t like to be him when he gets caught."  
  
"Yeah." Jared frowned. "Yeah, me neither." He finished his beer in one long pull and reached for another. "That’s why Chad is trying so hard to help him. We, uh. We all grew up together, and we know he’s not guilty. But the police aren’t doing anything. You know they barely even investigated the crime scene?"  
  
Jensen shook his head, and Jared’s eyes tracked a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face.  
  
"Yeah. They never even found a body."  
  
Jensen gaped, his full lips opening wide, wet, pink tongue in view. His glasses slipped down his nose, sliding along the moisture on his face. Jared blinked. He couldn’t afford to get distracted now that he had Jensen’s attention.  
  
"Yep. Alexis, she -- that’s the girl that I was . . . that I know supposedly died in the fire. But no body. Just her girlfriend’s word that she dropped her off at the salon for her shift about an hour before the fire. And of course, no one has seen Alexis since." Jared angrily flipped his beer cap across the floor, watching as it bounced a few times across the hard wood.  
  
"Oh, wow. Being convicted of arson’s gonna be a hefty sentence in itself, plus the added time for running, but manslaughter, too, when no one even knows for sure what happened to her . . ."  
  
"Jensen, he didn’t -- He didn’t even start the fire. I know he didn’t. He told me -- " Jared stopped, afraid his vehemence might give him away, but when he turned to look at Jensen’s face, he was just quietly watching him, eyes silently urging him on. "A couple of weeks before the salon burned down, he told me that the new tanning beds were dangerous. One of the beds had already malfunctioned, and he was afraid that it would happen again, that someone would get hurt. I know he tried talking to Beverly a few times, but she refused to replaced them."  
  
"Jesus. And that judge I talked to at lunch today was practically gleeful just thinking about sentencing the poor kid." Jensen chewed on his lip.  
  
"Exactly. That’s why Chad hasn’t given up." Jared sighed. "But this just isn’t his thing. I wish I could say I had confidence in his ability to help, but I really don’t."  
  
Jensen hummed quietly and popped the cap on another beer bottle.  
  
"Unless . . ." Jared bumped his knee into Jensen’s thigh.  
  
"Jared . . ." Jensen shook his head. "I wish I could help your friend; I do. But I just can’t afford to get involved in this. If it ever got out, my entire reputation would be shot."  
  
Jared wiped off the sweat gathering on his brow and picked up the empty bottles. "Yeah, I know. I understand."  
  
He felt Jensen’s hand on his wrist as he dropped the last bottle into the trash, and Jared’s back stiffened.  
  
"Hey," Jensen said softly. "Look, I. I really do wish I was in a position to help. But. I don’t want this to cut something off here, before we even get started."  
  
Jared winced. He was probably giving Jensen the impression that he’d feigned interest in him just to get Jensen’s help. And while yes, he needed his help, and without it he was pretty much fucked, there was definitely something else about Jensen that he wanted, too.  
  
He turned and reached up to hold Jensen’s face in his hands, thumbs brushing softly along the light dusting of freckles on his cheeks. Jared hadn’t been able to see them in the dark the night before, and he found himself wanting to see Jensen clearly, completely, now.  
  
Slowly, he lifted Jensen’s glasses from his face, folded them, and set them down on the bench. When he looked again, Jensen’s eyes were wide and green, his cheeks slightly pink against his pale skin. He looked gorgeous, and Jared lightly feathered his fingers across the planes of his face.  
  
"Much better," Jared said, before leaning in to press their lips together.  
  
Just like the first time, the kiss started slow and chaste, but in the heavy heat of the boathouse, it quickly turned sizzling. Jared spun around, pinning Jensen’s back to the hard wall, his hands drifting down his chest to grip at his waist. The thin cotton of his shirt was damp with sweat, and Jared reached beneath it to find slick skin.  
  
The pads of Jared’s fingertips brushed across the hard muscles of Jensen’s stomach, and Jared sighed into Jensen’s mouth, reliving every moment he’d spent waiting to hold the fit body in his hands.  
  
Jensen groaned and thrust forward, his back arched, hips humping and grinding against Jared’s thigh. His hands yanked at Jared’s shirt, peeling it off and tossing it to the floor in a damp heap, then reaching up to map Jared’s chest with his fingers, marking it with his blunt nails.  
  
Jared pulled back slightly, looking down at Jensen’s flushed face. His eyes were shut tight, lip bitten white between his teeth as he thrust his hips against Jared. He flipped Jensen around, pressing him against the wall and blanketing his strong back with his bare chest.  
  
Jensen gasped as Jared ground his erection against Jensen’s round ass, his hips thrusting back to press them closer. "Yeah. You like that?" Jared groaned, nipping along Jensen’s sweaty neck.  
  
He reached down to palm at Jensen’s dick, rubbing it once, twice, before shoving his shorts and boxers down to his knees. Jensen kicked them to the side and rolled his head back to Jared’s shoulder as Jared’s hand cupped his heavy balls.  
  
Breaths panting harsh against Jared’s neck, eyelashes fluttering, and Jensen never looked more sinful. Jared smiled and dropped to his knees, thumbs sliding along the cleft of his ass and parting him, the opening to Jensen’s body tiny and vulnerable. A slow lick across tender flesh and Jensen’s thighs shuddered, his entrance flexing. Jared nuzzled in and sucked, tasting the salt of Jensen’s sweat and the musk of his body.  
  
Fist pounding against the wall, Jensen pushed back, his ass pressing tight to Jared’s face as his tongue dipped inside the hole, tight and warm. Jared pushed two fingers past Jensen’s slack lips, and Jensen’s mouth clamped down, sucking and tonguing, Jared’s fingers sliding wet and slick.  
  
"You want more, baby?" Jared whispered against Jensen’s ass, the puff of his words ruffling the tiny, spit shiny hairs. When Jensen simply moaned, his forehead lolling across the wall, Jared grinned and pulled his damp fingers back. He watched as one slipped along Jensen’s puckered skin, slicking through and spreading the saliva before the finger pushed inside, slowly slipping inside soft, taut heat as Jensen’s muscles clenched and relaxed.  
  
Knuckle deep and he pulled back and pushed in again, pumping steady and seeking, brushing lightly across soft, spongy flesh until Jensen cried out and bucked. "Oh, god, baby, you're so good," Jared panted between wet swipes of his tongue around Jensen’s pink rim. "So tight, so hot." He quickly yanked his shorts down his hips and closed his hand around his own aching cock, giving a couple of quick tugs.  
  
He pulled his finger out of Jensen’s body, and the opening closed, Jared leaning forward to give another suck to the exposed hole. He sprang to his feet and, cock in hand, rubbed the head along Jensen’s ass, spreading precome from the top of his crack to his entrance and back, listening to Jensen gasp, his breath catching. The tip pressed lightly against the opening, and Jared whined. He needed to fuck Jensen almost more than he needed to breathe, but he had no condoms and no lube.  
  
"Dammit," Jared grunted, his head falling forward to rest against Jensen’s back. He pushed forward again, slight pressure and the head breached Jensen’s hole, tip barely forcing in and Jensen whimpered at the dry stretch. Jared pulled back again and laughed harshly as Jensen thrust back, ass following and pleading for Jared’s cock.  
  
One last bit of pressure, thick cock against tiny hole, there and gone again, and Jensen was babbling. "Oh, god, Jared please," Jensen begged.  
  
"Shh," Jared soothed, kicking Jensen’s feet together and spreading his own along either side of Jensen’s body. "Next time, okay? Next time."  
  
Jared slid his cock into the tight space between Jensen’s sweaty thighs and sighed at the wet warmth. Gripping roughly at Jensen’s hips, he thrust in and out, mind reeling at the tight pleasure and the soft brush of Jensen’s balls against the head of his dick. Vaguely, he could feel Jensen shuddering and shaking, one arm snaked between his body and the wall, jacking his cock in short, quick pumps.  
  
He leaned down to lick across Jensen’s open mouth, his tongue searching and soothing Jensen’s gasping breath. Jared grasped Jensen’s soft, velvety sac in one hand, rolling and tugging lightly on the heavy balls as Jensen jerked.  
  
A few more pulls and Jensen was coming, his breath hitched and mouth wide in a silent cry. Jared sighed heavy and picked up his thrusting, hard and fast and slick, gliding through sweat and precome. White electric heat shook through his body as he came, erupting warm and wet across Jensen's balls and the back of his own hand. His hips continued to pump for long moments, until he felt Jensen’s shaky sigh, and Jared pulled back, softening cock damp and spent.  
  
A few moments of silence passed, and Jared’s heart pounded, unsure what to do or say as Jensen turned to look back at him. He pulled his shorts back up and looked around for something to help wipe off the come on his hand.  
  
"Here," Jensen said as he took his shirt off and handed it to Jared. "Use this. It’s already covered in mine."  
  
Jared took the shirt and cleaned up, watching Jensen’s face pink again. He was fully naked now, and Jared stepped back to watch him search for his shorts, admiring the hard lines of pale, freckled muscle. The soft down surrounding his dick was thick and golden, trailing faintly up toward his navel. Jared’s nostrils flared, remembering the musky, rich flavor of Jensen, and he grabbed him around one slim wrist, yanking him against Jared’s body.  
  
Again, Jared fell to his knees, burying his nose along Jensen’s soft cock, breathing in at the short hairs and smelling sweat, sex, Jensen.  
  
"God, Jare," Jensen laughed.  
  
Jared looked up and into Jensen’s eyes, watching them darken, the pupils spreading. He smirked and leaned down, mouth open.  
  
Loud, rapid barking stopped his descent, and both men jumped.  
  
"What the hell?" Jensen grumbled as the sound approached.  
  
Jared’s heart leaped into his throat as Jensen groaned and backed away, pulling on his shorts. Jared would know those barks anywhere. So they’d released the hounds to come and find him, then. Jared snorted. There would be no getting away now; his dogs could sniff him out anywhere.  
  
"Shit," Jensen said, picking up his shirt, his nose wrinkling.  
  
Jared sighed and stood. He picked up his shirt and handed it to Jensen. "Take mine," he said. "No one will notice me without mine."  
  
Smirking, Jensen took the shirt and pulled it on. "Oh, I doubt that." He walked to the door and his smile fell as the barking got closer. "Look, uh. I hate to fuck and run, but . . . Something tells me this isn’t good."  
  
"No, no. You go on," Jared said with a tight smile. It was probably better for Jensen to not be around when they found him, anyway.  
  
"Okay, well, I’ll see you later, alright?"  
  
"Yeah," Jared said softly. "Sure." He studied Jensen’s face as he left the boathouse, trying to memorize every part of him for the long, lonely road ahead.  
  
Sitting on the bench, he looked out the window, watching Jensen’s form as it quickly moved up to the house. The sun was setting, the last fading rays of light shining through Jensen’s hair, highlighting it in shades of red and gold, a glowing halo. Sighing, Jared put his chin in his hand and tried not to be quite so melodramatic.  
  
Upon reaching the stairs, Jensen tripped and fell. Jared jumped to his feet, wanting to run check on him, but the dogs were close now, and he didn’t want to leave the cover of the boathouse. Jensen stood and rubbed his head before dusting off his ass. Jared sighed a breath of relief, watching as Jensen turned back to look at the boathouse.  
  
When he started walking back up the shore, Jared frowned. He looked around desperately, searching for a place to hide. With Jensen out on the beach, he’d lead the dogs straight to him, whether they could smell Jared or not. Then Jared remembered the glasses. He picked them up and examined the thick lenses. Of course; that was why Jensen had fallen. If he really needed those things, he must be nearly blind as a bat.  
  
Jared looked out the window again, watching to see if Jensen tripped or slipped on anything more. He made it halfway up the beach before the dogs rounded the corner from the other end of the shore, barking madly with tails wagging high and proud.  
  
The dogs raced down to the boathouse, chasing Jared’s scent, but suddenly paused, whimpering and turning to look at Jensen. He stopped and stood still, panic washing his face pale. Jared watched as Harley sniffed furiously at the air, tail lowering to a nervous wag. Sadie barked and lurched forward, rushing toward Jensen as he turned and ran back toward the house.  
  
Dogs hot on Jensen's heels, Jared took a moment to laugh sadistically at the irony. Harley and Sadie must have picked up a clearer scent on the shirt he had loaned to Jensen than they had from Jared himself inside the boathouse.  
  
Jensen stumbled a bit as he ran up the stairs to the deck, but this time he made it to the top without falling. He was yelling and crying out for help, and Jared couldn’t help but laugh again. He knew the only danger threatening Jensen was to be licked and pawed within an inch of his life. Jensen tried the door to the kitchen, but Jared remembered he’d locked it behind him, not knowing that Sandy and Jensen had already returned earlier that afternoon.  
  
Jared watched as Jensen leaped onto the outside table, desperate to escape the jumping dogs. When large paws rested on the tabletop and made to follow after him, Jensen reached for a low hanging tree branch and swung up into a tree. He sat there, looking helpless and yelling at the dogs to leave him alone until Tom and Chris, quickly followed by Sandy, came onto the deck a few minutes later.  
  
Sandy grabbed the dogs by their collars and pulled them down from the table. "Sadie! Harley!" she shrieked. "What’s gotten into you?"  
  
"Look, there he is!" Tom said. "I can see his feet hanging out of that tree."  
  
Sandy looked up into the thick leaves, shaking her head, and Jared smiled. "That’s not him, you idiot. That’s Jensen!"  
  
"Who?" Chris asked. "No, that’s got to be him!"  
  
Sandy sighed and turned on the deck lights. "No. That," she said, pointing and barely hiding a smile, "is Jensen."  
  
The two men peered up into the tree. "Well, I’ll be damned," Chris said.  
  
"Apparently," Jensen snapped.  
  
Sandy laughed and patted the dogs on their heads. "It’s alright, Jensen. You can come down. They’re calm now."  
  
Jensen slid down from the tree, and Jared held his breath, hoping Jensen would be able to see the table and deck clearly in the faint porch light. He made it safely down, but jumped when Sadie stood and crept toward him, her head bowed.  
  
"I just don’t get it," Chris said. "These dogs should know him anywhere. How they made such a mistake . . ."  
  
"Hmm, yes. Bad dogs," Sandy mocked, then leaned down to kiss both of the dogs on their noses and ruffle their ears. "Tom, I don’t know how many times I have to tell y’all he’s not here, but I’m certainly hoping this is the last."  
  
"Yes," Jensen snapped. "This is bordering on harassment. Miss McCoy and I have both repeatedly told you that this fugitive is not here. Maybe if you spent half the time actually investigating the evidence as you do continually going over dead ends, you might just solve a case or two."  
  
Jared’s heart swelled, and he saw Sandy shoot a look toward the boathouse, a grin on her face.  
  
"Well, uh." Tom coughed, clearly embarrassed. "I apologize, Mr Ackles. Sandy. We’ll be sure to leave you alone in the future. Goodnight." He turned stiffly on his heel and left the porch.  
  
Chris attached the leashes to the dogs’ collars and led them around the side of the house as they whined softly, their tails drooping. Jared sniffled at the sight of his babies so sad and confused, but he swore he would make it up to them once he got out of this mess.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Mid afternoon, warm and quiet. The perfect opportunity for a little relaxation out on the deck with a cold drink. Without the tanning salon operating, the only way to get a little sun was the old fashioned way; Hawaiian Tropic and time. Luckily, Sandy was fully stocked with those two. The beer, on the other hand, she was not.  
  
She scowled into the refrigerator before closing the door. This is what came from renting to men, the toilet seat left up and her beer gone. She hiked off to the study in search of her tenant. She found him napping on the couch, laptop open and the screensaver circulating.  
  
"Mr Ackles? Jensen? Did you drink the last of the beer?" Sandy asked, shoving at his shoulder.  
  
Jensen sat up with a start. "Hmm, what?"  
  
"The beer. It’s all gone."  
  
"Oh, yeah. I guess Jared and I drank the last of it yesterday." He chewed his lip lightly. "Is that . . . That’s not a problem, is it?"  
  
"Well, no, not exactly. But it would have been nice to know when I went into town this morning for groceries." She crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow at him. Picking up her handbag, she sighed and walked to the front door. "I guess I’ll just go again. Is there anything you need while I’m there?"  
  
"No, I don’t think – Yeah, actually . . ." Jensen rubbed the back of his neck, and Sandy waited.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Jensen’s face flushed. "Ah, you know what? Why don’t I just come with you? Probably easiest that way."  
  
"Sure, whatever. Just book it, okay? I’m losing daylight here, and I wanted to get some sun."  
  
Jensen seemed awkward, and the trip into town was blessedly silent. When they reached the main shopping strip and parked, Sandy noticed a large crowd gathered around the shell of the old tanning salon. With a frown, she got out of the car and directed Jensen to the drug store across the street. They separated to make their respective purchases.  
  
She was just setting two large cases of beer into the trunk when Chad appeared at her side. "Chad? What the heck’s going on over there?"  
  
"You’ll never believe what those assholes are up to now. They’ve got Beverly and Joanna over there posing for pictures next to the ashes and telling their sob stories to the paper. It’s disgraceful!"  
  
"What? And they’re gonna put it in the paper? Like the jury pool isn’t biased enough already! Dammit!" Sandy slammed the trunk shut and, along with Chad, walked across to view the spectacle.  
  
Jensen caught up with them halfway, bag in hand. "What’s going on?"  
  
"This is the old tanning salon. They’ve got the distraught owner and grieving widow over here causing a scene." Sandy used air quotes around the word widow.  
  
"But I thought they hadn’t found a body?"  
  
"They haven’t, but -- " Sandy came to a halt as she saw Joanna, crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks, Jason’s tape recorder jammed in her face as she wept. Standing off to the side, Kristen snapped a picture.  
  
"And it’s just so hard, you know? To lose the person you love most in the world," Joanna said, wiping her tears with a delicate handkerchief. "To never have them come home to you again." She pressed the handkerchief to her lips and choked, shoulders shaking. "And only if it weren’t for that wretched man, I would still have her here with me now."  
  
Beverly came to stand by her side, wrapping an arm around Joanna’s shoulders. "There, there, dear. Tom will catch him. Justice will be served, and he’ll suffer for the horrible things he’s done to so many people."  
  
"Hey, lady," Chad shouted, angry. "He didn’t do it. And when we prove he’s innocent, you’re gonna have a nice slander suit slapped in your face, so you better watch your mouth!"  
  
"You making threats, little man?" Justin stepped out of the crowd and stopped in front of Chad. "Cause if you’re gonna get all upset about someone talking shit about your boy, I might as well make it worth your while."  
  
Looking out at the crowd with a smile, Justin raised his long arms above his head. "Your dumbass friend is guilty; everyone can see that. He’s also a fuckin’ chickenshit for running off like he did. Can’t stand and face the music like a man."  
  
Jensen snorted and shook his head. "Face the music? Looks like the tune y’all’re playing is mob justice."  
  
Chad’s face was red with rage. "Why, you mother -- "  
  
Turned out Chad’s fist was really good at wiping self-satisfied smirks off the faces of assholes. He and Justin tussled for a few minutes, trading blows until Tom and Chris arrived and managed to pull them apart. Both a little bloody and a bit worse for wear, they calmed down and, on the order of Tom, left the scene.  
  
With Joanna and Beverly shooting her withering glances for disturbing their performance, Sandy decided it would be a good idea for her and Jensen to leave, too.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Skipping stones had never really been Jared’s idea of a good time, but his activity options were slim to none as of late. He stretched his arm out and tossed a smooth, round stone out onto the lake and watched as it sank straight down. What he needed was more practice. No; better stones. They were the problem, not him. Walking along the lake shore, he searched for a few suitable stones in the fading daylight.  
  
"Jared!"  
  
At the sound of Sandy’s voice, Jared looked up onto the deck and saw her small form, arms waving him over and Jensen standing at her side. When he climbed up the stairs, he saw the grill smoking, the scent of charcoal blanketing the warm air.  
  
"I figured it was time to fire up the grill for the summer. Jensen suggested that perhaps you might like to join us?" She blinked up at him innocently, setting out plates of raw burgers and hot dogs along the table.  
  
"Sure, sounds good," Jared said, smiling across at Jensen.  
  
Sandy thrust the plate of hot dogs toward him. "Alright, then. Get to cookin’, boy!"  
  
Jared laughed. "Oh, I see how it is. Food for work, huh?"  
  
"Exactly," Sandy said. "Besides, no one else can perfectly char my hot dogs the way you can, and you know it." She turned to Jensen and handed him a metal bucket. "Jensen, we need beer. The ones I picked up at the store won’t be cold enough yet, so fill this with ice and put some bottles in it, okay? There’s an ice machine in the wet bar in the study."  
  
Jensen saluted and walked into the house.  
  
Using the tongs, Jared started laying the hot dogs out on the grill. "And just what are you going to do, princess?"  
  
"I," Sandy said, relaxing back into a chair and putting her feet up on another, "am going to sit here and try to soak up the last three rays of late afternoon sun and enjoy myself."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
The sun had set neatly, and Jared had just eaten the last of the burgers. The conversation had been light and amusing, the beer loosening their tongues, and Jared couldn’t keep his eyes off of Jensen’s blush at Sandy’s incessant teasing. She made no secret that she had noticed the way they looked at each other and emphatically stated her approval.  
  
"I’ll tell you what," Sandy said, taking a gulp from a fresh beer. "This town could use a pair as hot as you two." She continued at Jared’s snort. "Seriously. Have you seen the people who live around here? Absolute trolls." She hiccuped, then amended. "Well, maybe not trolls, exactly. Some of them are actually pretty damn good looking. But the way they act? Repulsive." She waved her hand dismissively.  
  
"You can say that again," Jensen grunted.  
  
Jared’s eyes narrowed. "Why? What happened?"  
  
"Oh, just more about that tanning salon fugitive." Jensen told Jared about the reporters at the site of the tanning salon that afternoon. "Blatant propaganda, if I ever saw it."  
  
"Asshats, all of them!" Sandy shouted.  
  
"That poor kid. What I don’t get is why he didn’t just have his lawyer file for a change of venue, rather than running. Might’ve made things a hell of a lot easier on him."  
  
Jared’s jaw clenched, and he looked down at the crumbs on his plate. "Maybe he was afraid he wouldn’t have the time to wait and find out if they granted it," he said.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Jensen said quietly.  
  
When Jared glanced up, Jensen looked lost in thought. Sandy reached toward the ice bucket for another beer, only to find it empty.  
  
"Dammit! I need another beer," she whined.  
  
Jared looked at her and laughed. "No, Sandy. I really don’t think you do."  
  
Jensen stood up. "Well, I think I’m gonna have another. Jared?"  
  
At Jared’s nod, Jensen walked across the deck and back inside the lake house.  
  
Sandy flung an arm awkwardly around Jared’s shoulders. "You should have seen Chad today, baby. Playing your knight in shining armor." She giggled. "He really got in a few good shots, too, before Tom had to come along and split it up."  
  
Jared frowned at her. "What? When?"  
  
"At the salon. Remember? I told you." Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Didn’t I? Whoops!"  
  
Between bouts of giggles and flailing limbs, Sandy managed to recount the fight from that afternoon, complete with pantomime punches and shouts. Jared was laughing so hard it was several long minutes before he realized Jensen had not come back outside.  
  
He told Sandy he was going in search of their alcohol and headed inside the house. A quick peek in the fridge showed that all the cold beer had already been consumed, and he realized Jensen must have had to pull a few more warm beers out of the case on the counter.  
  
Jared walked to the study, hoping to find Jensen at the ice machine, but the room was empty. He frowned and paused, thinking where next to look, when he noticed the light from Jensen’s laptop illuminating the desk. Butterflies dancing in his stomach, Jared walked over to the computer and looked down at the screen.  
  
His heart fell to his feet as he saw an image of himself, his police mug shot, staring back from the laptop. Jensen had pulled up a couple of articles online about his case and discovered his identity.  
  
"Uh-oh." Jared heard Sandy’s quiet voice beside him and turned to look at her face, eyes wide and suddenly sober.  
  
Racing out of the study, Jared found Jensen standing in the hallway leading to the bedrooms, his eyes hard. "It was you. This whole time, you’ve been lying to me, trying to get me to risk my career to help your friend, and it was you."  
  
Jared swallowed hard, unsure what to say to defend himself. He couldn’t deny the accusation. "Jensen, I. I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do."  
  
Jensen laughed humorlessly. "You couldn’t think of anything other than to fuck me to try and make me do what you wanted? I guess how I felt worked out really nicely for you, huh?"  
  
"I didn’t use you," Jared said rigidly. "Yeah, I wanted your help, but I wouldn’t -- "  
  
"Save it," Jensen snapped. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "God, I can’t believe I fell for this. For you. A fucking fugitive." He huffed out a laugh.  
  
"I told you, I didn’t do it. I’m not guilty!"  
  
"Doesn’t matter, Jared. You still broke the law when you escaped! I can’t believe I got myself mixed up in this."  
  
Jared’s jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. "But you didn’t, did you? You couldn’t be bothered to help even when you knew it was the right thing to do. Look at you. All superior, hiding behind that stuffy exterior like you’re better than everyone else. Well, now I know that you’re not. You had the opportunity to do something right, really help someone, but you were more concerned about your precious reputation than anything else."  
  
Jensen was shaking at Jared’s words. "Don’t you judge me! Don’t you dare think for one second that you know how I -- " He spun around, and Jared was left staring at his back, tense and unyielding. "Get out," Jensen said quietly.  
  
"Jensen, please, just -- "  
  
"I said get out, Jared! Leave. Before I call the police and tell them you’re here. I’m sure even they won’t be able to miss you when you’re right under their noses."  
  
Jared blinked, shocked for a moment that Jensen would even suggest that he might turn Jared over to the police. Then he turned and ran out the back door and down the deck stairs to the lake. He thought he heard the faint sound of Sandy calling his name, but his feet couldn’t stop the relentless pounding, pushing him farther away.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Jared had been gone all night, and neither Sandy nor Chad had heard from him. To say that Sandy felt concerned was an understatement. She served Jensen weak coffee in the morning.  
  
"I don’t know what you said to him," Sandy said, arms crossed, "but I know he didn’t deserve it."  
  
Jensen gaped. "What . . ? What I said to him? How about what he said to me? And let’s not forget the fact that the two of you have been lying to me from moment one -- "  
  
"Whatever, Jensen," she interrupted. "You may be paying me to put up with your ass for the rest of the summer, but don’t get confused about whose side I’m on here. Jared is my best friend. I’ve known him my whole life. And he is out there right now, alone, getting into who knows what kind of trouble, with no food, no shelter, and as far as I’m concerned, that is your fault!"  
  
Jensen had the good sense to look contrite. "I know. And I’m sorry for that."  
  
Satisfied that he at least seemed to feel some guilt, Sandy turned to her breakfast. Halfway through the meal, she noticed Jensen plucking at the collar of his polo, undoing the top few buttons. A few moments later, his glasses hit the tile floor with a clatter, one of the lenses shattering.  
  
Sandy jumped up to pick up the pieces, but sat back down when Jensen yelled at her to leave them where they lay. She watched as he reached for his coffee mug, missing the cup entirely before knocking it over, the hot liquid dripping across the table to mix with the broken glass on the floor.  
  
"Fuck!" Jensen shouted. "Take me into town." He stood and left the kitchen.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
When Sandy had seen Joanna behind the counter at the optometrist’s office, she’d wanted to throw Jensen to the wolves (or vixen, as the case may be) to fend for himself, but watching him continue to stumble around, she figured it was bad form to leave a blind man to the slaughter. Sandy did her best to stick toward the back of the store, glancing through a kiosk of sunglasses as Jensen spoke to Joanna at the counter.   
  
"So you have your prescription with you?" Joanna asked, loudly popping her pink bubblegum. "Okay, well. It will be at least tomorrow before we can get your contacts ready." She led him over to a glass counter filled with wire frames. "In the meantime, you can’t go walking around without help. We’ve got some very nice frames here for you to chose from."   
  
Jensen leaned close to the glass and peered at the frames dubiously. "Um." He straightened and coughed. "Perhaps you can assist me in selecting a pair?"   
  
Joanna sighed and started setting a few frames out along the counter top. "Sure. It’s not like I’ve got anything else to do around here."   
  
Putting on a pair of rimless glasses, Jensen frowned at his reflection in the small mirror next to the register. "Yes, I heard about your girlfriend. I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine how that must be."   
  
Joanna rolled her eyes. "Oh, it’s not that. I mean, it is," she said, eyes glaring at Sandy before flicking back to Jensen. "It’s just, everyone is acting like I’m the one who died or something. And I mean, I can only sit at home for so long, you know?"   
  
Jensen tried on another pair of frames and arched an eyebrow at Joanna.   
  
"Yes. I think those suit you nicely," she said and laid a hand on his forearm, eyes widening. "You know, you look completely different now from the first time I saw you."   
  
Sandy watched as Jensen’s expression turned from surprised to slightly panicked to smirking pleasure. "Thank you. I believe I’ll take this pair, then, if you’d be so kind as to put the correct lenses in them." He handed the frames across to her. "And then," he said, leaning on the counter, close toward Joanna. "I’d like to take you to dinner."   
  
Sandy’s eyes narrowed in disapproval, and Joanna bounced and clapped, giddy with excitement. "Oh, Jens -- . Mr Ackles! That would be just lovely. Now, let me just get these set up for you." She turned and walked into the back office.   
  
"Jensen," Sandy hissed and grabbed his arm, shaking him. "What are you doing? You asshole! Jared hasn’t even been gone twelve hours yet, and already you’re -- "   
  
"Shh," Jensen whispered. "Just trust me." He pushed her back toward the sunglasses just as Joanna returned to the front counter.   
  
Handing Jensen the framed lenses, Joanna smiled wide. "I get off at six."   
  
Jensen put the glasses on and winked at her. "Great. I’ll pick you up then." Then he turned toward Sandy and steered her fuming body out of the store.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
"Oh, Mr Ackles. This is such a lovely restaurant. You know, I really don’t get to come here very often." Joanna preened.   
  
"Now, I don’t believe that," Jensen said. "Pretty girl like you? You should have dozens of guys -- Er. People wanting to bring you here. And, please. Call me Jensen."   
  
"Okay, Jensen," Joanna said, taking a large gulp from her third glass of wine. "And I think dozens is a bit of an overstatement. There’s hardly one dozen  desirable  people around here as it is." She frowned across the booth at Sandy and Chad. "Really, I had thought this would be just the two of us tonight."   
  
"I’m so sorry you misunderstood, Joanna," Jensen said. "I thought you were lacking company these days. Besides, they’re my friends here. Let me get you another drink."   
  
Presently, Joanna was sipping at a fresh glass of wine. Sandy and Chad exchanged a nervous glance.   
  
Jensen put an arm around Joanna’s shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Now, Jensen. You wouldn’t be trying to get me drunk so that you can take advantage of me, would you?"   
  
He nuzzled her neck lightly, and she giggled. "Depends. Is it working?"   
  
"Yes and no. As fun as this is, I can’t."   
  
Jensen nibbled along her jaw. "Why not?"   
  
Chad coughed, and Sandy drummed her nails on the table, pushing her dessert plate away.   
  
"Because," Joanna slurred. "I’m involved. I have a girlfriend; I thought you knew that?"   
  
"But I thought you were over that? You said you wanted to get out."   
  
"I know. I did. Dinner was nice, but that’s it. No more. I can’t cheat on Alexis. It just wouldn’t be right."   
  
"Darling." Jensen lifted her chin with a finger and pressed their foreheads together. "It’s not cheating when she’s passed away."   
  
"I know that! But she’s not, you know? She’s not, and I’m not like that."   
  
"Mmm," Jensen hummed, stroking her hair. "Of course you’re not. But you have to let her go and move on with your life. You’re still young and beautiful. You can’t mourn her death forever."   
  
"But that’s what I’m trying to tell you," Joanna stage whispered. "She’s not dead!"   
  
"What? Of course she is. Everyone knows that." Jensen smiled indulgently.   
  
"No, really! I’m serious!" Joanna huffed. "Fine, you don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you." She rummaged through her handbag and produced her iPhone. "Just give me a minute here . . ."   
  
Sandy’s palms were sweating and she squeezed her hand in Chad’s. Jensen shook his head at her, silently asking for them to stay calm.   
  
"Ahha!" Joanna said. "Here it is." She passed Jensen her phone. "See? I told you. You’re wonderful and sweet, but I really can’t."   
  
Joanna’s head snapped back toward Sandy, as if she only just remembered that she and Jensen were not alone. "Oh!" She glared. "Just what are you looking at?"   
  
Sandy shook her head and smiled. "Nothing, Joanna. Just admiring that handbag. It’s very nice."   
  
Both sets of female eyes returned to Jensen, and Sandy noticed he was frantically pressing buttons on Joanna’s cell phone.   
  
"Hey!" Joanna yelled. "What do you think you’re doing? Give me that back!"   
  
She snatched the phone from Jensen’s grip and tossed it in her bag. "I think it’s high time I got out of here for the night." Turning her nose up at Sandy, she jumped up from the table and headed across the restaurant.   
  
Jensen ran to follow her, insisting that Joanna allow him to at least see her safely into a cab, but not before he gave Sandy a quick wink and a thumbs up.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
As soon as Sandy pulled the car into the drive, Jensen was hopping out and running up the front steps to the lake house.   
  
"Jensen! Wait!" Sandy puffed, chasing after him. Damn these men and their long legs. "Stop being such a tight-lipped bastard and tell me what’s going on? What did you find?"   
  
Jensen just turned and smiled as he opened the front door, before disappearing inside.   
  
Sandy caught up to him in the study. He had already powered up his laptop and was tapping quickly at the keys. He ignored her for another minute and then turned the computer toward her.   
  
"Here, see for yourself," Jensen said.   
  
An email account was shown on the screen, a message open. Glancing at the addresses, Sandy saw that it was Jensen’s account and the email she was looking at was a forward from Joanna. "You sent this to yourself from her cell phone?"   
  
"Yep. God bless technology."   
  
"Okay," Sandy said, then started scanning the email. A simple greeting, a declaration of extreme boredom and distaste for a need to stay indoors. Then things got interesting:   
  
I can’t wait until this whole thing blows over and you can come join me. I told Bev I was getting fed up with how long this is taking, but she said it’s hardly her fault that Jared ran off and she couldn’t've been expected to prepare for that. I said I certainly hadn’t prepared to spend this much time sitting on my ass, either. I hinted in no uncertain terms that I would be expecting more generous compensation for my efforts and luckily, she agreed.    
  
So! More money, girl! As soon as this is all done, we’re going to hit the beach in style and never look back . . .   
  
Sandy gasped when she saw the name at the end of the email.  Alexis .   
  
"Oh my god! Jensen!" She wrapped her arms around Jensen’s shoulders and hugged his neck tightly. "This is it. This is exactly what Jared needs!"   
  
Jensen laughed and turned back to the laptop, trying to type around her hold on him.   
  
"But wait!" Sandy said. "Now we know she’s alive, but how are we ever going to find her?"   
  
"Just give me a few minutes, and I should be able to get the IP address from where Alexis sent the email and track it," Jensen said.   
  
"You do that. I’m gonna go grab us a couple of beers to celebrate!" Sandy said and bounded off to the kitchen.   
  
She was fairly certain that the cluttered stack of dishes in the sink hadn’t been there when she’d left for dinner, but the beer bottles and empty ice cream carton on the counter were definitely new additions.   
  
Few people would have the constitution to pack away as much food as had clearly been eaten. Looking out at the back deck, Sandy’s heart filled with hope. A sharp thump from down the hall startled her, and she ran toward the noise.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
The door to Jensen’s bedroom was ajar, the faint lamplight playing shadows along the walls. A very wet and nearly naked Jared was pawing through a dresser drawer, pulling out clothes and holding them to his too large frame.   
  
"Jared!" Sandy hissed.   
  
He looked up, nearly dropping the towel clutched around his hips when Sandy’s arms came around his waist.   
  
"Sandy, I’m sorry I came back, but I was hungry and really needed a shower," Jared said.   
  
"Oh, don’t be silly, Jared!" she said, voice slightly muffled against the planes of his chest. "You don’t have to be sorry. I’m just glad to see you’re alright. Where did you go? I was so worried about you out there by yourself."   
  
Jared smiled softly, put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arm’s length. "I’m fine, Sandy. Really. I tried staying out in the woods, but I moved back to the boathouse after I figured everyone had gone to sleep. When did you get home? Is Jensen -- "   
  
"Hey, Sandy!" Jensen’s voice preceded him through the doorway. "I got it. Alexis isn’t too far -- " He stopped when he noticed Sandy was not alone. "Jared . . ."   
  
Sandy’s arms stretched high above her head, her mouth dropping in an exaggerated yawn. "Mmm, I sure am beat. I’ll see you guys tomorrow." Walking toward the door, she put a hand on Jensen’s back and shoved him forward, closer to Jared, and shut the door behind her.   
  
"So, uh," Jensen said. "Hey."   
  
"Hey," Jared said, glaring at Jensen.   
  
Jensen blinked uncomfortably for a minute under Jared’s gaze, his thick lashes visible under slim lenses.   
  
"New glasses?" Jared asked.   
  
"Yeah," Jensen said, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. "Broke my other ones."   
  
"They look good."   
  
"Thanks. I mean, it’s just until my contacts come in, though, so. Not for very long." Jensen stopped and laughed. "Or maybe it will be very long now, I don’t know. I don’t think Joanna is too happy with me."   
  
Jared frowned. "Joanna?"   
  
"Yeah, I think I pissed her off pretty good at dinner tonight."   
  
Shaking his head, Jared snorted. "You had dinner with her?"   
  
"I did, but it wasn’t -- "   
  
"Stop," Jared said and shrugged. "Not like you have to answer to me, right?"   
  
Jensen hadn’t even been willing to try and apologize. He’d gone straight to sleeping with the enemy. He must really hate Jared for what he’d said.   
  
Jared picked up one of Jensen’s t-shirts. "Mind if I take this?" He didn’t wait for Jensen’s response before striding toward the door.   
  
Jensen stepped forward, blocking his path. "No wait. Jared, you don’t understand. It’s not what you think. I just went out with her to try and help you. To see if I could get anything from her about Alexis."   
  
"What?" Jared asked, brow creasing.   
  
Jensen smiled. "I wanted to help you, Jared. Look, I’m sorry about what happened before, what I said. I . . . I should have been helping you from the start, but . . ."   
  
A weight lifted from Jared’s shoulders, and he leaned forward, his forehead resting against Jensen’s. "I’m sorry, too."   
  
Jensen’s lips rubbed softly along his, and the t-shirt Jared held fell to the ground, along with his towel, when his hands came up to grip Jensen’s hips, pulling him close.   
  
The kiss was searing, frantic, and Jared pulled open Jensen’s jeans, yanking them down his hips to pool around his shoes as Jensen lifted his shirt over his head. Somewhere along the way, Jensen’s arms got twisted in the shirt and he tripped and fumbled, feet still trapped in his pants. He fell down in a heap of flailing limbs and fabric onto the bed, Jared tumbling after him.   
  
A few laughs and tugs later, and Jensen was naked, skin flushed and warm as Jared crawled slowly up his body, lips hovering above Jensen’s mouth. Jared reached his hand between their bodies to wrap tight around both of their cocks, jerking them slowly.   
  
Jensen surged up, his lips landing awkwardly and hard against Jared’s mouth, the rough velvet of his tongue seeking entrance. The damp heat of Jensen’s precome covered Jared’s hand and mixed with his own, slicking the movements into a smooth, blinding glide, and Jared’s mind nearly blanked.   
  
Jared shuddered and bit back on a moan. He had to move his hand, had to stop the blissful slide of his dick against Jensen’s or he’d be done before they even got anywhere. He leaned back, and Jensen groaned as Jared moved down to settle between his thighs.   
  
Looking up at Jensen’s face, he saw the raw need in his eyes, the glittering green nearly consumed by the deep black of his pupils. He was flushed and panting, chest heaving, as Jared’s hand circled back around the heavy shaft of his cock.   
  
Remembering the delicious musk of Jensen’s body, Jared smiled and leaned in to lick slowly around the head of Jensen’s erection. The salty thick burst of precome spread across his tongue, and Jared fit his lips around the shaft, cheeks sucking tight as his head bobbed. Jensen’s hands were in his hair, twisting as he moaned.   
  
Jared slipped a finger inside his mouth alongside Jensen’s cock, coating it with his spit before slipping it back behind Jensen’s balls, pressing lightly against his asshole. Jensen’s whole body tensed, then shook, his hips shoving down against Jared’s finger. Every bit as tight and hot as Jared remembered, and he hummed deep in his throat and ground his hips against the mattress.   
  
When he pulled back to suck another finger into his mouth, Jensen moved away and leaned back against the headboard, his breathing harsh. Jared frowned and reached out to grasp Jensen again, but Jensen clasped his wrist and held his hand away.   
  
"Wait," Jensen said, running a hand through the sweat damp spikes of his hair. "I gotta -- I don’t wanna come yet, and your mouth . . . God, Jared." He huffed out a laugh, then leaned over to rummage through the bedside table, gifting Jared with a perfect view of his firm ass and pink hole.   
  
Jared nearly rushed forward, wanting to bury his face into the soft crease and lick inside until he had Jensen whining, his whole body rigid, desperate for release. But then Jensen turned back around, bottom lip bitten between white teeth and freckles standing stark against cheeks red with embarrassment. He held a box of condoms and a bottle of lube in hand, and bless him, the man could still be shy, even after he’d had Jared’s tongue up his ass and his come sticking to the soft down of his balls.   
  
How he’d made it this far in his life, without having Jensen, without having Jensen like this, Jared couldn’t fathom, but there was no way in Hell or B’Effey he was going to give him up now.   
  
"Here," Jensen said, handing Jared the box, and Jared noticed that it was unopened. He looked at Jensen, questioning, and, if it were possible, Jensen blushed deeper. "I told you. I didn’t really come out here prepared for this."   
  
Jared dropped the box among the sheets, yanking Jensen to him and crushing him against his chest as lips moved and devoured Jensen’s mouth, only stopping when he became lightheaded and dizzy from lack of air. Jensen was an enigma, at times so arrogant and sure, almost pompous in his confidence. So very different from the man before him now, vulnerable and nearly timid in his desire.   
  
Shoving Jensen to lie back down onto the bed, Jared reached for the lube. But Jensen held it tightly, hand pressed to Jared’s shoulder to hold him back. "Wait. Wait, I . . ." Jensen popped the cap and drizzled the slick lube down onto his fingers. "Let me." Bending his knees and lifting his feet to rest flat against the mattress, Jensen’s hand slipped between his thighs, and Jared’s breath caught as he watched two wet fingers disappear inside Jensen’s body.   
  
Okay. So vulnerable, yes. Maybe not so much with the timid. Jared licked his lips and nearly sent up a prayer of thanks for Beverly and Alexis, for bringing him here to this moment, with this beautiful man stretched out and wanting, and all for him alone.   
  
Jared’s eyes met Jensen’s, his lids heavy and fluttering as he pumped his fingers in and out of his entrance, scissoring and stretching. He wrapped his hands around the backs of Jensen’s thighs, lifting and spreading them when another long finger slipped into the lube shiny opening.   
  
"Oh god, Jared," Jensen groaned, his neck arching.   
  
Sitting back on his heels, Jared ripped open the box, teeth tearing into a wrapper. He quickly rolled on the condom, smearing it thickly with lube.   
  
And then he had a lap full of Jensen, his thighs nestled on either side of Jared’s and arms winding around his neck. One hand held Jensen’s hip steady, the other gripping his cock to press against Jensen’s hole and inside. The position was tight, tighter than Jared had imagined, and Jensen sank down slowly, his hips lifting and pressing down, down, farther with each motion.   
  
When his ass finally rested flush on Jared’s thighs, Jensen held still, muscles twitching and straining tight around Jared, dark eyes wide.   
  
"Jesus, Jared, I -- " Jensen groaned, sweat beading his brow. Then he moved, lifting up and nearly off before sliding smoothly back down, and Jared thrust up to meet him.   
  
Jared tried to keep the pace slow, tried to draw it out until he had Jensen begging sweetly, but inside, Jensen was too hot, too tight and slick and Jared was losing his mind. He cupped Jensen’s ass, squeezing and slapping hard once before moving his fingers around to slip through wetness and feel Jensen stretched tight around his dick.   
  
The bed creaked, adding to the sounds of gasping breath and the slap of skin against skin. Jensen’s hand was wrapped around his cock, jerking hard and fast, smearing wetness across Jared’s stomach. His breath hitched and his rhythm faltered as he cried out, mouth wide and eyes shut tight. Jared leaned down, thrusting his tongue in Jensen’s mouth to catch and taste the sound as Jensen came, spilling between their bodies. He slumped forward, head lolling on Jared’s shoulder as his breathing slowed.   
  
Jared lurched forward, tossing Jensen onto this back, his cock sliding out with a wet pop. He gripped his thighs, lifting them high and wide as he fucked back in, thrusting deep and hard. He could see his sweat dripping down and mingling with Jensen’s across his lover’s heaving chest.   
  
The angle was too deep, Jared sliding all the way in and he bit his lip to keep from yelling at the sight of his pelvis slamming into Jensen’s ass over and over, again. Jensen shuddered beneath him, his cock gone soft, but a hand rolling his balls as his back arched.   
  
Jared’s orgasm built quickly, white heat shooting down his spine as his balls tightened and toes curled. Another thrust, two, three times as his hips stuttered then stilled, pressing his cock inside as deep as he could go and holding while he came and his mind blanked. He managed to shift to the side, slipping out before he fell at Jensen’s side.   
  
They lay on their backs, side by side catching their breath, and Jared’s body relaxed into the feel of a soft mattress beneath him for the first time in days, possibly weeks, considering the tiny cot he’d been gifted in his jail cell. Suddenly bone weary, sleep raced up to meet him. He felt Jensen roll over into his side, head on his shoulder and arm across his chest, as his mind drifted into darkness.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
Sandy hummed, puttering around the kitchen as she made an extra large pot of coffee. If the sounds coming from down the hall last night were any indication, the boys were going to need it. The sun hadn’t quite reached over the tops of the trees yet, and she decided to let them rest for another few minutes.   
  
She’d been unable to get much sleep, curious and excited about what Jensen had said after dinner. He’d managed to find Alexis, and from the sound of it, she may be right under their noses. She couldn’t wait to hear where she was, and her mind had already hatched a plan of action, with backup plans B and C already fully formed. But when she’d seen the heated look pass between the two men, she knew her curiosity would have to wait until the light of day.   
  
Speaking of, the first rays of sunlight were just passing through the kitchen sheers, and Sandy jumped up to go wake her house guests. There was a lot to discuss, and the sooner they were prepared, the better. And although Joanna had seemed about three sheets to the wind the night before and would probably be sleeping the alcohol off until well into the afternoon, Sandy wasn’t willing to take any chance of her contacting Alexis before they had a chance to find her.   
  
When she reached Jensen’s bedroom, the door was already open, and Jensen was dressed and coming toward her. She could hear the shower tap being turned off in the distance.   
  
"Please tell me there’s coffee already," Jensen said, yawning.   
  
Sandy smiled and ushered him into the kitchen. She started talking as she filled him a mug of the steaming liquid. "I think I’ve been very patient, Jensen. It’s now been hours since you found Alexis. Where is she?"   
  
"About an hour outside of B’Effey," he said between gulps of coffee. "I looked it up on the map, and it looks like it’s the middle of nowhere. I mean, even more so than here."   
  
He grinned, all white teeth, when Sandy scowled.   
  
"Anyway, it doesn’t look like there’s anything else out there, so I’m hoping she’s staying at the location where the IP originated from."   
  
"Great." Sandy nodded. "When do we leave? Jared!" she yelled, and a moment later he came into the room, wide awake and grinning like the cat who got the cream.   
  
"Mornin’," Jared drawled as Sandy thrust a mug of coffee into his hands.   
  
"Drink up. I want you both outside and ready to leave in T-minus three minutes!" And with that she rushed off to find her car keys.   
  
She was impatiently tapping her foot on the front porch when Jensen appeared at her side a few minutes later. "Maybe we should take my car, instead," he said. "If she recognizes yours, she might try to run before we can get to her."   
  
Sandy nodded in agreement. Jared joined them a moment later, stuffing the last of a bagel past his lips, and then they all piled into Jensen’s SUV, setting off to clear Jared’s name.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
The little cabin was visible for miles before they reached it, a tiny dot that slowly grew on the otherwise empty landscape, not even a couple of trees to keep it company. All was quiet, the house appearing deserted, and Jensen slowed the car, then killed the engine a few hundred feet out.   
  
"I can’t believe anyone is living here," Sandy said, frowning as she noted the paint peeling off of the siding and shingles dangling precariously from the roof.   
  
"This has to be it," Jensen said, getting out of the car.   
  
Jared quickly followed when he saw Jensen start to approach the house. "Why don’t you let me go first, okay?" He didn’t think Alexis would be dangerous, but then again, he’d never have thought she’d do something like this to him, either.   
  
Jensen smiled indulgently, patting Jared’s cheek. "Aw, Jared, you worried about me? That’s so sweet," he said, before walking toward the front porch. "But I’m the only one she won’t recognize, so you two just cool your heels for a minute, okay? Lemme see if I can’t get her to the door before we go barreling in."   
  
Jared sighed, but nodded and moved to stand with Sandy on the far side of the SUV, out of view of the front door.   
  
Peering through the car window, Jared watched as Jensen knocked. A minute passed, two, and nothing happened.   
  
Jensen raised his hand to knock again when the door opened. Jared couldn’t see the person standing inside the house, but Jensen was talking to them rapidly, gesturing toward the SUV and looking frustrated. He smiled broadly as a woman finally stepped through the doorway and onto the porch.   
  
Sandy nearly squealed beside him at the sight of Alexis, and Jared had to clamp a hand over Sandy’s mouth and glare to shut her up. Jensen and Alexis were walking quickly toward the car, the sound of their voices becoming clear.   
  
"I’m not really sure what’s wrong, but the check engine light came on and it started making a funny noise. I didn’t see any other place to pull over and wait for a tow truck. I hope you don’t mind," Jensen was saying.   
  
"Oh, no. That’s fine," Alexis said. "Believe me, I’m well aware that there is nothing else around here for miles."   
  
Jensen was leading her around to the front of the car, and Jared crouched down next to the wheel well. When Alexis was nearly standing beside him, Jared pounced, arms wrapping tight around her body from behind, trapping her arms at her sides.   
  
"Hey! What are you doing? Stop!" Alexis shrieked, thrashing against his chest. She tried to turn her head around, but was unable to see her captor from her shorter height.   
  
"Get the rope!" Jensen shouted.   
  
And then Sandy popped in front of Alexis, gleeful smile playing across her face. Jared held Alexis’s arms out as Sandy wrapped the rope tightly around her wrists.   
  
"Oh, shit. No, no, no," Alexis moaned. "This can’t be happening, not now!" She glared at Jensen. "You bastard! You tricked me! You lied!"   
  
Jared leaned down to breath against her ear. "Oh, yeah? And how’s that feel, sweetheart?"   
  
At the sound of his voice, she tensed and redoubled her struggles desperately trying to break free. Sandy kicked her hard in the shin and posed with her hands on her hips.   
  
Alexis bounced on one foot and yelped. "You bitch!"   
  
"Right," Sandy said. "Back at you." She turned to Jensen. "So. You gonna help him toss her in the back or what? I’ve got a big date with a bikini and a pitcher of margaritas this afternoon, and I wanna drop her off with Tom before I’m late."   
  
  


* * *

  
  
Epilogue   
  
A rustling thump hit Jared on the top of his head, and he leaned back from Jensen’s lips, lips that were shiny wet and plump, smiling. Jared ignored the interruption and moved back in toward his magnet.   
  
"Hey! Douchebag!" Chad’s voice sounded in his ear. "Stop sucking face for a minute, and look what I brought you." He dumped a newspaper on the table in front of Jared and sat down in a chair with a smirk.   
  
"Sandy, what were you thinking letting this asshole in? I thought this was supposed to be a celebration," he yelled across the deck to Sandy.   
  
"Don’t look at me. I warned you back in third grade that Chad was gonna be hard to get rid of once you let him play with your GI Joes," Sandy said, adjusting her sunglasses and patting Sadie on the head.   
  
"So is that what y’all here in B’Effey call it?" Jensen asked, hiding a smile.   
  
"Hey, man. Jared should have been so lucky," Chad defended. "Now will you look at the fucking paper, already? Geez. Go to all this trouble to pull your dumbass out of the fire and you gotta rag on me."   
  
Holding back a laugh, Jared picked up the newspaper, his eyes widening at the headline:  Tanning Salon Owner Charged With Insurance Fraud.    
  
"Oh," he said, passing the paper to Jensen.   
  
"Yeah. Oh," Chad said. "Apparently, when you contacted the insurance company about the defective beds, they revoked the coverage for them. Beverly didn’t have a chance to fix the situation before one of the beds malfunctioned and burned the whole place down. I guess she figured since it was your fault that they weren’t covered, she’d pass the buck onto you and collect the insurance money as arson."   
  
"Well, thank god I can walk down the street again without being stoned, even though half the people around here still keep avoiding me." Jared sighed and slipped a link of sausage to a slobbering Harley.   
  
"There’s a lot of assholes out there eating crow right now, Jared," Jensen said. "Give ‘em time; they’ll come around."   
  
Sandy jumped up and plopped into Jared’s lap. "So. Are you gonna tell Jensen what we were talking about this morning?"   
  
Jared frowned and ducked his head. He wished she hadn’t brought this up now. He’d planned to talk to Jensen about it later, in private. After they’d had a few beers. After they’d fucked and Jensen was all soft and lazy. Maybe in another week, or two. Really, there was no rush.   
  
"Tell me what?" Jensen asked.   
  
"Come on, Jared! I think it’s a great idea."   
  
Jared chewed at his lip, nervous of how Jensen would react. "Um, well. I’ve got a little money set aside. And I was thinking, the town still needs a tanning salon and I really liked working at Pasty-Free. So I thought, I could apply for a loan, maybe open up one of my own."   
  
Jensen blinked. "You mean here in B’Effey. You wanna stay here in B’Effey."   
  
"Yeah," Jared said. "I mean, I know things have been hard around here lately and the most of people are all shitheads. But this is my home and all of my friends are here, and . . ."   
  
"That’s great, man! You should really do that," Chad said, slapping Jared on the back. "And of course, as Sandy and I are the only ones who supported you in your time of most dire need, that means we’ll get free tanning, right?"   
  
Jared cuffed Chad on the head while he and Sandy laughed, discussing the benefits of having a business owner for a best friend. He was pleased they were excited for him, but he couldn’t help noticing how quiet Jensen had become, staring down at the table and clearly lost in thought. He reached out to put his hand on Jensen’s shoulder.   
  
"Hey! Anybody back here?" A deep voice shouted from below the deck. A few moments later, Jeff appeared climbing up the stairs. "Well, no wonder no one was answering the door."   
  
"Professor Morgan!" Chad said, surprised and jumping to his feet.   
  
"Hey, Chad," Jeff said. "I didn’t realize you and Jensen were still such good friends. Nice to see you. And son, it’s just Jeff now."   
  
"Oh, right, sure, Profes -- Jeff."   
  
Sandy stood. "Can I get you anything to drink? There’s some more beer in the house."   
  
"Yes, ma’am, thank you. I’d like that," Jeff said with a smile.   
  
"Come on, Chad. Why don’t you help me carry out the cooler," she said, grabbing Chad’s arm and dragging him inside the house, the dogs following close behind.   
  
When the deck was quiet again, Jeff turned to Jensen. "How’re you doing, Jensen?"   
  
"Been worse," Jensen said. "So what brings you all the way out here?"   
  
"Jensen," Jeff said, with a pointed glance in Jared’s direction, "I wonder if we might talk privately."   
  
"Nah, it’s cool. Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Jared."   
  
"Okay." Jeff sighed and sat down. "I’ve had my guys go over the software you sent me. It’s exactly what I’m looking for, and I’d like to buy it, just like I told you I would. Whenever you’re ready to set up negotiations, just let me know, and we can get this done."   
  
Jensen grinned. "That’s great news for me, Jeff, but did you need to come all the way out here to tell me that?"   
  
"Well, no. There’s something else." Jeff paused, and Jensen waited, eyebrow arched. "I want you to come work for me. I’ve already talked to the board and gotten approval. Whatever you want. Corner office downtown, benefits. Just name your salary, and it’s yours."   
  
Jensen looked stunned, and Jared held his breath. He’d known this was only a summer fling and eventually Jensen would have to leave to go back to Dallas, but now, faced with the reality of Jensen gone, Jared knew he didn’t want him to ever leave. No matter how he felt, though, he knew this was Jensen’s decision to make.   
  
Running a hand through his short hair, Jensen turned and met Jared’s gaze, smiling softly. "You know what, Jeff? That sounds amazing; really, it does. A great opportunity, but." Jensen paused and grabbed Jared’s hand. "I’m not gonna go back to Dallas."   
  
Jeff gaped. "What? You wanna stay here? In BFE?"   
  
Jensen kept his eyes steady on Jared. "B’Effey, actually. And yeah, I do." He cupped his warm hand around the back of Jared’s neck and pulled him forward until their lips met in a soft, slow kiss.   
  
  


The end.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note to say that my knowledge of the inner workings of computers and software design is about as vast as Jared's is here, which is to say, not much at all. The entire scenario may defy some simple earth logic, but I had a lot of fun writing it and putting it together.
> 
> I know that Sadie and Harley aren't exactly scent hounds, but I couldn't have dogs in a Jsquared fic without them being Jared's babies, could I?
> 
> B'Effey, Texas is a figment of my imagination.


End file.
